Heroes: Two worlds
by Toby19
Summary: In a world filled with hate, three humans gets saved, and are transported into another world, far different from there own. They most fight with the heroes from that world, and destroy a shadow, that has been covering the world with darkness. But where there a darkness, there is light. (Rated T for violence, curse words, and adult themes.)
1. Chapter 1 A sad beginning

**Welcome to "Heroes: Two worlds". This is my second story, so i only just started writing fanfic's. I have been a big fan of Spyro, since i discovered the legend of Spyro trilogy, and after i discovered , i have wanted to write fanfic's to spyro. And now, i get a chance. But i better stop babbling, before you get bored. Now, enjoy.**

 **PS: I don't own any of the Legend of Spyro characters.**

* * *

 _Chapter 1 A sad beginning_

"Are you kidding?" A boy said, surprised and sarcastic, while he was going down the street.

There was nothing special, about this particular street. It looked like every other street, there was houses, garden walls, some bushes, and few trees.

The sun shined down, on the bushes and trees.

The trees leafs were perfectly green, indicating it was sommer. They weren't really big, but there wasn't space to big trees on the street, only some small, and perfect looking trees.

The branches didn't go everywhere, but had a perfect length, that together with the leafs, formed a olive like shape. The wasn't many leafs, only enough to cover most of the sun's rays.

The trees looked all in all, liked there where made in a factory.

There weren't really more to say, about the bushes.

The bushes formed alongside the garden walls, looking like a extra small defense. They also weren't very high, only being half the length of the garden walls.

Like the trees, the bushes branches had a perfect length, and with the green leafs, formed a square form. Again, looking like something from a factory.

The garden walls where as high as adult, with most of them being out of wood, and the rest being out of high bushes.

The houses weren't really different from one another. All being modern houses, with white painted walls on the outside and flat roofs.

"What do you mean 'are you kidding me'?!" Another boy said, frustrated.

The boy had a black leather jacket, with a white shirt under it, and skinny jeans, and black shoes.

He had black hair, that bristled everywhere, and his eyes where a dark green. His skin where white and pale, looking like he hadden been out in the sun for a couple of months.

He was about sixteen years old.

"I _mean,_ that I would never, ever, see you, as some kind of, rock star, Jack. Wait, no I'm wrong, I would _definitely,_ see you as a rock star. _In my nightmares_. Oh, even the thoughts of you singing, makes chills run down my spine." The other boy said, joking and tauntly to the boy with the leather jacket, which name is Jack.

"Oh, shut up Ben." Jack said, with his arms crossed, obviously annoyed by Ben's taunting.

Ben was fifteen years, a year less than Jack, but that didn't stop him from irradiating him. Ben had a grey t-shirt, jeans, that weren't as skinny as Jack's, and blue sneakers. He had light brown hair, that didn't bristle as much as Jack's, and had blue eyes. His skin was white and not as much pale as Jack's.

"No, you shut up." Ben said, jokingly.

"No Ben, _you_ , shut up." Jack said, with his arms no longer crossed. Instead, he looked right at Ben's face, seriously, and a little treating.

"No _Jack,_ you shut up!" Ben said, with a higher volume than before, now also looking right at Jack, with a seriously expressen.

But looking seriously, wasn't exactly Ben's talent.

Jack, now trying not to chuckle, over Ben's attempt to be seriously, said, now definitely annoyed, and with a little higher volume that Ben.

"NO! You shut up!"

"No you shut up!"

"Shut up!"

"SHUT UP!" Ben, end the end, yelled at Jack, trying to win the argument.

Jack and Ben standed, some seconds, in silents, looking at each other, like they where i a middle of a stare competition.

In the end, Jack looked down, and slapped his hand into his face, and said silently, but still high enough to Ben could hear it.

"Why am I doing this."

"Would you two just shut up, for a minute, please!" A female voice said, to the two boys, irritated.

Ben and Jack turned around to see where the voice came from. When they turned around, they saw that it was there female friend. They both standed there, without knowing what to say. They had completely forgotten, that she was with them.

Ben then got an idea, for a joke.

"We are sorry that we annoyed you Carla I-I mean, ma'am, can you forgive, your humble servants?" Ben said, jokingly, and with a fine manner. He then bowed, as the last touch, to his joke.

The girl Carla, led out a chuckle.

Carla was a pretty girl, fifteen years old, same age as Ben. She had a black shirt, and blue jeans. Carla didn't care about what she had on, unlike the other girls in their school. She had brown hair, and diamond blue eyes. Her skin was white, and it wasn't very pale, but not also too dark to look sunburned, making her skin looking neutral.

Carla had been going with Jack and Ben from school, something they normally do. She had listen to their argument, and found it completely hilarious. But she had hold her laughter in, because she wanted to see what happen next. But when they came to the 'shut up' part, she found it rather annoying, and when Ben yelled, she decided to end it.

Then suddenly, they all let out a laughter. When they stopped laughing, they began to keep going down the street.

When they had walked a few minutes, Ben decided to end the silence, and found a topic to talk about.

"What do you two think of today's, bullying campaign, against?" Ben said, jokingly, and looked over to the two others.

Carla and Jack, looked at Ben, confused. Carla knew, that Ben was good at making jokes, but she found it hard to see, how he could turn this topic, into something funny.

"Let's see, what about the morning?" Ben said. He then stopped moving, and tried to look as buff, as possible. He then said, with a rough and stupid sounding voice:

"Hey _worm,_ you're late to class _again_ , you're just pathetic. Bad that you can get as _muscular,_ as me, huh?" Ben then raised his arm, and then began to show his muscles.

Carla let out a chuckle, but quickly stopped again. After all these years, they had been friends, and her listening to his jokes, she knew that he could do better.

"H-hey l-loser. I heard that y-you got an F i-in math, hehe. Y-your lack o-of knowledge in g-geometry is d-d-dump!" Ben said, with a nerdy and staggering voice.

Carla now tried her best not to laugh. But she couldn't hold back a smile. Even though she didn't admit it, she has always found Ben's jokes, funny.

Ben was silent on some seconds, with a face showing that he was thinking deeply, to try to figure out, a new joke.

His expression then lighted up, like he had figured out, the meaning of life.

Then it turned evil, and he smiled, sneaky.

Carla was now curies, about what Ben had planned in mind, that could make him smile, like that.

He then cleared his throat.

"Hey _Ben,_ you're jokes are lame, and stupid. You should try to hear _music_ and i mean _real_ music _, rock music,_ yay, that's the good stuff. And if you practice, you could even be as good as _me._ Who am i kidding, you could never be as good as _me."_ Ben said, trying to copy Jack's voice, the stupidest way.

Carla couldn't hold it in, anymore. She burst out laughing hysterically.

Jack chuckle a little. He had to admit, that it was a little funny, but he couldn't understand, why Carla laughed so much. After some seconds, the realisation, struck him.

He looked shocked, frozen. His expression then became angry, when he realized that he chuckle over a joke, against him. For him, the worst part was, that it was Ben's joke. He then yelled angry, and frustrated, at Ben.

"HEY!"

Now it was Ben's turn, to laugh hysterically.

Jack looked at Ben with furious eyes, that looked like they could burn through stone. Ben stopped laughing, and began to breath in air, like he had run a marathon. He looked up at Jack, seeing that he was furious. Ben raised his eyebrow, and said in a joking matter.

"Hey, why so Grumpy?"

Jack now looked angry and curies, he wondered what Ben would say in his defense.

"You have to admit, that was pretty funny, _and_ very accurate." Ben said, with a raised eyebrow again.

Jack then tried to say something, but was lost for words. He knew that whatever he said, Ben would turn it into a joke, you could simple not argue with him. One of the things, that annoyed Jack most.

Jack looked down, and led out a sigh.

" _Okay,_ it was a little funny,but you _dare_ to do that again!" Jack finally said, and pointed a finger at Ben, in a threatening way.

Ben began to smile, and said.

"I knew, that you would say that." The three of them then began to walk again, now with Ben beside Jack.

"After all, we are buddies, right?" Ben said, and took his arm over jack.

Just as Ben had finished his sentence, Jack said emotionless, but threatening.

"Take your arm, off me. Now." Ben then nodded, and quickly said.

"Right." And took his arm off Jack.

The three of them then kept on going.

Carla really enjoyed moments like these, where the three of them could just talk, laugh, and have fun. It was moments like these, that kept her going.

The three of them, didn't have what you could exactly could call, a good life.

Jack's parents acted like he didn't exist. They nearly only talked to him, when his music was to high. Jack needed to do everything himself, he even needed to buy food for himself, because, his parents only bought food, for the two of them. For them, Jack didn't exist, he wasn't a part of their family, and was worth nothing.

Ben's parents, where a little different. They talked to him, and acknowledge that he existed. But never for good reasons. Both his mom and dad, always criticized him. Never thinking that he was good enough. They were always yelling for small reasons, like, if he had gotten late for class, or if he was late to dinner, even if he had forgotten to brush his teeths. Always yelling, always critizeing, and never loving him. It's actually there for, that he never gets touch by criticizing.

And Carla's parents is just as bad. It`s actually simple. They just don't wanna be with her. Every time she's in the same room as her parents, they go out of the room. They go often on restaurant, and on long car trips. They even go to hotels, and live there in a week. They are so desperate to not be with her, that they put food in her room, to make sure that she don't eat with them.

It was not better in school. The teachers had a grunch against the three of them. Always picking them to answer questions, that the teachers knew, they couldn't answer. And the children where worse. The three of them, seem to be the hot spot of bullying. They were always getting picked on, by the other children. They were at least pushed twenty times, in one day. Always getting comments, on there cloth style, hair, and grades. Even the nerds, where a big part of the one's bullying them.

And it's because of all this, that there friends. Friends, that are carrying each other, through life. Friends, that are helping each other. Friends, that will go with you, wherever you go.

And after all this, after all the hate, that they have gotten from their fellow students, teachers, and their family.

They now walk, on a street, only the three of them, laughing.

For them, it was moments like these, that made it possible for them, to continue through life. For them, nothing could go wrong at this moment. But, in reality…. everything could go wrong, at this moment.

The three of them were walking, talking, and laughing. They couldn't hear it, they just, couldn't hear it.

They haven't noticed, that they were walking on the road. They were too concentrated in their conversation, to notice. It was dark now. Not completely, but still dark enough, to people to turn on, their car lights.

It got closer, and closer. Now some meters away.

The three of them were still walking on the road, happy, smiling, and alone.

Then, they heard, a honk.

They all turned around, at the same time.

They had enough time to see, two, bright lights.

Then….everything turned dark.

* * *

In a room, filled with blue light, a dragon standed, looking into something, that only could be described, as a hole in the world.

The dragon had white scales, and shined with light. He had four golden curled horns, and his belly was also golden. His wings where big and magnificent, and where a golden like yellow. His finns, that was going from the top of his head, down to his tail, had the same golden color, like the wings. His tail blade was golden, and looked like, of the head of a spear. His eyes where white, and filled with care and wisdom. His body looked old, showing some of his bones, under the skin. But his skin looked young, and he had no wrinkles, on his body. He somehow looked old, and young, at the same time.

He looked, all in all, like a god.

In the hole, three figures where showed. The figures where covered in fog and smoke, making it hard to see, what they exactly looked like. But the white dragon, was able to see, the most important features.

The figures looked broken, and there faces showed despair, agony, sadness, and helplessness.

The dragon looked down, and sighed. He then forced himself, to look at the figures again.

"With the power of the light." He said with a smooth, calm, and wise voice, that could make, the most mad beast, calm. He then continued.

"I give these three, broken souls, a new chance. A chance, to make things right, to help others in need, to stop darkness, and to make change. To be heroes, to be legends, to be the savoirs, of two worlds. Let there end….be a new, beginning."

He then paused. After some seconds, with the figures disaping from the hole, he said, worried.

"May the light….be with them."

* * *

 **Thank you, for sticking to the end of the chapter. I don't have a exact time on, when i make new chapters, but i will try to get them out as fast as possible. I would like to get some reviews, to help point out misspelling, and to now what you think of the story so far. Now, goodbye.**


	2. Chapter 2 The dragon realm

**Welcome, to chapter two. I don't have to much to say, besides that I will try my best, to release chapters to this story, as quickly as possible. And also, some of the locations mentioned in this chapter, and future one's, are not canon to the legend of Spyro trilogy. Now, I hope you will enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 _Chapter 2 The dragon realm_

"So….do you think he will come?" A male ice dragon said, curies, to a fire dragon on his left side.

The ice dragon, had light blue scales, and two bone colored horns. His belly was a darker blue color. His wings were white, and his tail blade, where the same color as his horns, and were formed as a spike. And the spikes, on his back, was also bone colored, and his eyes was ice colored.

"What do you think Arkatic, that this, _Shadow lord_ , won't come to his own meeting?" The fire dragon, that was male, said sarcastic, and looked at Arkatic.

The fire dragon had red scales, and his belly was orange red. His wings was the same color, as his belly. His horns, was a dark red color, and his tail blade, had the shape of a knife, having the same color, as his horns. His back spikes, was a orange red, the same as his belly. His body was slim, and his scales, were surprisingly smooth, for a dragon.

Arkatic sighed annoyed, and rolled his eyes. He then turned his eyes, back on the fire dragon.

"What do _you_ think, Fieres. He's at least, some hours late now. And not mention, I find this meeting, a little strange, to say at least." Arkatic said, as a comeback to Fieres. He then looks around, making sure that no one is listening, to their conversation.

"Some message wyvern, comes to my clan, saying, that his lord, needs _assistance,_ from my clan." Arkatic whispers to Fieres, continuing his conversation.

"And that this _lord,_ will pay fairly, for help, from the Ice horns clan. And my clan, is in a big need of supplies, and i think that to be more, than a coincidence." He saids, trying to prove his point, to Fieres.

Arkatic has been the leader of the Ice horns clan, for two years. The Ice horns clan, is one of the many clans, formed when under Malefor's rampage.

Under the rampage, many dragons fled to the other corner of the realm, with the ice dragons, fleeing north, to the Icy mountains.

The Icy mountains, is huge mountains, filled with snow, ice, and several ice caves. The caves, forms a giant network of tunnels, that goes thru all the mountains, connecting them all.

When the first ice dragons, came to the Icy mountains, they settled in the caves. Over time, the ice dragons formed into groups, they called clans, and began to fight each other, for territory, and the limited resources, the mountains provided. With the ice dragons, haven't their own problems, they didn't bother to worry about Malefor, mainly because, his apes, orcs, and wyverns, couldn't survive long in the icy terrain, and barely fight in them, giving the ice dragons a huge advantage, against them.

Because of the many fights, between the clans, the ice dragons blocked several tunnels, that could give the enemy an advantage. But in some cases, a few tunnels were simply guarded, if they gave a better advantage to their own clan, that the enemy clans.

There were no trees in the Icy mountains, and with the trees at the foot of the mountains, being miles away, all structures that were built by the clans, were made of stone, or ice. But the structures outside the caves, were manly walls, used as a defense, to the entrance of the caves.

Over time, with clans getting bigger, and bigger, three clans raised to power, making all the smaller clans, needing to choose from the three of them.

The name of the first clan, is Winter pillars, and is the most nonaggressive, of the three main clans, and is also known, to be the most civilized one. The first leader, and founder, of the Winter pillars, was a intelligent ice dragon, with the trait of leadership, which name is lost, in the Icy mountains. His point of view, of a society, was that it was hold up by pillars, that were the people, in the society, and more a person devote to that society, a bigger and higher pillar, the person was. It was with that perception, he formed the Winter pillars, and became the clan leader. A new leader is chosen, when some ice dragons from the clan, that wants to be leader, goes thru a tournament, filled with tests. The tests, test both intelligence, and power. When all the participants, had gone thru the tournament, the people from the clan chooses, which one is the new leader. The current leader, was a slim dragon male, with blue scales, and a white belly. His wings were light blue, and his horns curled, and were ice colored. His name was Ica.

The second clan, is Arkatic's, that was called the Ice horns. The founder of the clan, was a dragon, that had came from a little dragon settlement, in Avalar. The dragon then moved to Warfang, and when Malefor started his rampage, he fled with the other ice dragons, to the Icy mountains. The group he was with, didn't have many supplies, so he volunteered to go further, into the mountain, to try to find food. He then came back with several mountain goats, on his back. The dragons then chose him, as their leader. When the Ice horns, need's to find a new leader, they hold a tournament, where two of the strongest dragons fight, and the winner, then becomes the leader.

The final clan, is called the Snow wolfs. They are the most aggressive, and feared, of the three main clans. They live by the rule, of survival of the fittest. Their founder, was a big and strong dragon, that were a master of combat, both magic, and close range. He was the first to attack, another group of dragons, in the Icy mountains, killing all of them, and stealing their supplies. He then chose himself, as clan leader, and make sure that his son, would be the future leader. His son, then chose that every descendants of his family, would go through hard, physical training, so they could be the future leader. The Snow wolfs was also the first, to be one of the main clans. They forced smaller clans to unite with them, and if they declined, the Snow wolfs would destroy their caves, and kill all of them. The Snow wolfs current leader, was a big bulky male dragon, which name was Wolfer. He had dark blue scales, and his belly was blue. He had two big light blue colored horns, which were bended so they goed up in the air. His wings had the same color, as his belly.

Fieres looked at Arkatic in a moment, and then said, in a not caring tone.

"I couldn't care less, about your situation in the mountains, and especially this meeting." He then looked around room, and focused on the ice dragons. He then led out an annoyed sigh, and rolled his eyes.

He then looked back at Arkatic, and said annoyed.

"Trust me, I would happily clean up the kings castle, if it meant I didn't need to travel, and be in the same room, with such _savages!"_ He said the last part high enough, so that nearby ice dragons, could hear him.

He then got angry, annoyed, and threatening stares from the ice dragons, that eventually moved away from Arkatic and Fieres.

Fieres then smiled and chuckle, glad over the reaction he got.

The fire dragons fled to a place called the Barren lands, a wasteland like land, were most of the ground is flat rocks. The wasteland, also contains a few oases, were there are water, trees, and plants.

The fire dragons, wasn't the only ones, that fled to the Barren lands. The earth dragons, also moved to the wasteland, and had since being fighting the fire dragons, over territory.

A big group of the fire dragons, together build a big settlement, that over many years, became a huge city, nearly as big as Warfang. The descendant of the dragon, that started the project, chose himself as king, saying that it was his father's project, that saved them from the terror's, of the wasteland, and because of that, should be the rightful leader, of the city. But when everyone, in the city declined, his order to be king, he secretly formed a small army, of high trained warriors, that he called the royal guard. The royal guard made sure, that all dragons, were with him, either by persuasion, or force. When the whole city was with him, he crowned himself, as king if the Barren lands. He then named the city Kharos, the capital, of the Barren lands. Fire dragons from all over the wasteland, fled to Kharos, for protection, from the earth dragons, and the dangers, from the wasteland. In the end, there were only a handful fire dragon colonies left, in the wasteland. The descendants from the king, became known, as the royal family. members, of the royal family, are the only ones, that can be the new ruler, of Kharos. The current king, is a male dragon, named Hiryes the second.

He has red scales, a crimson red belly, and light red wings. His horns are curled, and the color of bones, the same as Arkatic. Hiryes believe, that the ice dragons from the Icy mountains, and the earth dragons from the Barren lands, are all savages, and only want to dominate them. He has sent several team's out, to destroy minor clans, and colonies, from the ice and earth dragons. He has been most successful against the earth dragons, than the ice dragons, because the fire dragons don't know the Icy mountains environment, and are most trained to fight, in barren environments, leading to their defeat.

Arkatic sighed, and looked down on the ground.

Fieres and Arkatic aren't exactly friends, but they could at least talk to each other, without an insult, being in awry sentence. It was on their way to the fortress, Arkatic and Fieres begin to talk, starting with small conversation, to how it was, in the Barren lands, and the Icy mountains.

Fieres even complimented Arkatic, saying that he wasn't as 'savage' as he expected, or, Arkatic _believe_ that it was a compliment.

Fieres was just what Arkatic believed, what a fire dragon was like. Snobby, giant eco, and thought that he was better than any ice, and earth dragon. But, Arkatic didn't mind talking to him, he even considered to be friends with Fieres. But he pushed out the thought, as quickly, as it hatten gotten in his head. Fieres was still a fire dragon from the Barren lands, someone that use the word savage, at least ten times, when describing ice dragons.

They were natural enemies, literally, they were a fire, and a ice dragon.

Arkatic, looked up from the ground, and on the room, and the creatures in it.

Arkatic - and every dragon in the room - had been called, by some mysteries lord, that claimed to be, the Shadow lord. Arkatic personally, would had better liked the title Dark lord, but he couldn't do much about it.

The lord, had sent wyverns, to the Icy mountains, and the Barren lands. They each had carried a message, to a specific clan, and colony. The messages had each been written, by the Shadow _himself_. That's at least what the wyverns claim. Each message having written, that the lord promise specific things, that a clan or colony needed. Example, Arkatic's clan needed various of supplies, and in the message there were written, that the lord would give them the needed supplies, to the clan, if the clan leader, came to his fortress, to _negotiate._

Arkatic would in normal circumstances, never had agreed, to such a offer, believing it to be a trap. But his clan really needed those supplies, so he had to take any chance he got, even if it could mean his doom.

Fieres had explained to Arkatic, that a wyvern, had come to Kharos, saying that the lord, would aid, in the defeat of the earth dragons, if he also came to the fortress. The earth dragons, had caused many problems lately for the fire dragons, and Hiryes could need the help. But instead of coming himself, he send a respereantan, and that was Fieres.

Araktic looked around the room. He was pretty sure, that this was one of Malefor's old fortresses, from before he got defeated. But he couldn't care less, were this meeting was hold, as long as he got the supplies he had been promised.

The fortress was made out of black stones, and was on a mountain. There were columns, under the fortress, holding it up, and there were giant spikes, going out from the structure, making it look dangerous, and threatening. The windows were purple, but there only a couple, in the hole fort, with the light being replaced by torches.

In the room, there were dragons, and a few orcs, probably serving as guards. There were ice, and fire dragons, and you could nearly, every second, hear a insult, being thrown around. The dragons Arkatic could recenice, was Ica, talking to some other ice dragons.

The other, was Wolfer. He looked threatening, keeping a eye out for, nearly every one. He probably expects this meeting to be a trap.

Arkatic quickly looked away, trying as much as possible, not to make eye contact.

Arkatic had always hated Wolfer, mostly because that it was him, that had limited the Ice horns supplies.

Arkatic stands there, looking around, when suddenly, he could hear door, opening, up near the throne.

The throne was placed higher up than there Araktic stood, with there being some small stairs, leading up to the throne. On the right and left sides, at the room, near the throne, there was big purple curtains.

Arkatic could then hear, footsteps, coming from where the door sound came, that was behind the curtains.

It was only now, that Arkatic, released, that everyone was silence, and was looking up at the throne, trying if they could see, who was coming.

He then gets a weird, feeling in his stomach. As the footsteps gets louder, the more stronger, the feeling gets.

Arkatic then looks around, trying to see, if the others also had it this way. He then look at Fieres, and sees that something is obviously bothering him. He looks at the other dragons, seeing that they are also being bothered by something.

The feeling then gets stronger, making it possible for Arkatic, to figure out, what it is.

He recenetions the feelings to be, anger, fear, bust most of all…. _lust._

A lust, to kill everyone, in the room, to kill however comes thru the curtains, to go on a killing spree,in the hole realm! A lust, that is only powered, by hate.

Arkatic was now shaking, he had never felt these feelings so strong before, and the lust was tearing him apart.

He looked down on the ground, breathing heavenly. Fieres looked at Arkatic, surprisingly worried. He was about to say something to Arkatic, when he was interrupted by a dragon, that had unnoticed walked to Arkatic's side.

The dragon had black scales, something rare to have, but there something unnatural about, like there were moving, like they were a fog, going past the dragon. He had also yellow stripes on his body, something dragons normally don't have. He had two curled horns, with one of them, missing a part of it, at the end. He seemed to have yellow eyes, but the color were nearly blocked, by a dark like fog. His wings and belly, was just as black, as the rest of his body, and so was his back spikes.

" _He's coming_." The black dragon said, with a dark, emotionless, and hollow, voice.

Arkatic looked up at the dragon, and made a little jumped in surprise, by his presence.

"Wha-at the-" He was interrupted, by someone, coughing, signalering that the room should be quiet.

Arkatic looked up at the throne, to see, a dark figure, standing besides the throne.

The figure, then said, with a cold, dark, hollow, emotionless and corrupt like voice, that goed right into Arkatic's soul, making him shake, in fear.

" _Can we please, get some silence?"_

* * *

"Ugh…." Was the only sound, that Carla could get thru her throat.

She could feel, a hard ground under her.

It was only now, that she realised, that she was laying on the ground. She tried to get up, but ended up bumping, into the ground. She was lying down, in some seconds, before she tried to open her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, it felt like that giant stones, was on her eyelids, trying to hold her eyes closed.

Her eyesight, was completely blurry, and dizzy. She then tried again, to get up, but this time, she was slowly getting up.

It felt like all her energi, had left her muscles, with even the simplest move, feeling like she was moving a boulder. But she was stubborn, and in the end, she got up.

Her legs was shaking, and moving to different positions, trying to keep balance. After some moments doing that, her eyesight was slowly coming, making it possible for her, to see just a little bit of the environment, she was in.

The first thing see saw, was green. She then sees something brown, some places around her.

She can also hear some things, like birds, and rattling. She then looks up, and quickly looks down again, when she's blinded, by light.

 _Like my sight wasn't bad enough_ she thinks irritated, while she's rubbing her eye.

She then opens her eyes again, trying to find out where she is. Her legs are no longer shaking, and she doesn't feel dizzy anymore. She can also feel new energi, is coming to her body.

She's now able to see, where she is, and what she sees, astonishes her.

She sees trees, grass, bushes, and a cloud free, blue sky, with a shining sun, warming her, and showing, the beautiful nature. Things, she is pretty sure, was there before.

She rubs her eyes again, not believing what she sees, and believing it all to be a dream. But, when she opens her eyes again, she's still there,

She takes some steps back, of shock.

"T-this can't be r-real!" She saids, staggering, and in shock.

She stands there, not moving, and barely breathing, when her memories comes back to her.

She remember her, Jack, and Ben, going down the street, talking. When suddenly, they here a honk, and turn around, to see to bright lights. Her memories then gets dark as night, not remembering anything else, than her, waking up here.

Her expression then turns, from confusion, to realizazing.

She then yells, worried, and desperate.

"Jack, Ben?!"

She then stands still some moments, hoping to get a response, and when she doesn't, she repeats the same words.

She then yells a few more times, but with no success.

And when she is just about to lose hope, she hears, a voice.

A distant, but still noticeable voice, coming behind her. She had no idea, of what is was, but there were one thing, she knew; it could be anyone, even Ben and Jack.

And with that, she began running, towards the voice, yelling.

"Jack, Ben?!" With a higher volume than before, hoping to get a answer.

And she get some kinda answer. It was the same voice as before, now louder, and more clearer. But she was still not able to make out, what the voice said.

She kept running towards the voice, with it keeping getting louder, and louder.

Finally, she could hear what it said, and even who had said it.

"Carla?!" She still had a hard time, exactly hearing which person, the voice belonged to. But she was able, to trace the voice down, to Jack's.

She looked to her sides, trying to see, if she could get a glimpse, of Jack and Ben, when suddenly, she ran into a bush she hadn't seen, and bumped into something hard.

She then falls down on the ground, landing on her back. She opened her eyes, to see Jack, getting up from the ground. He was moaning in pain, and holding his shoulder.

"Carla!" Someone yelled, happy, and surprised, behind her.

Carla looked behind her, seeing that it was Ben, that had yelled her name.

She smiled, happy to see a familiar face. She then got up from the ground, and turned around to greet Ben.

"Carla! Im so happy to see you, I fought you had been eaten by wolves, bears, rabbits!"

Carla lifted her eyebrow, questioning.

"Rabbits?" She said, not convinced over that rabbits, should be the thing she should be worried about eating her.

"Yeah, _rabbits._ We have no _idea,_ of where we are, anything heir could eat use! I even think that the trees look hungry." He said, as one of his usually daily jokes, as Carla calleds it.

"No, I don't help, thank you very much guys." Jake said, sarcastic, and giving them a thumbs up. He had gotten up from the ground, and rubbing his shoulder, looking like Carla made quit a impact, when she ran into him.

"Ooohh, yyyeeaaa, sorry about that." Carla said, while rubbing the back of her head, chuckling, and smiling nervously.

Jack just gave her a death stare.

"Okay, if you're done whining Jack." Ben said, getting Carla and Jack's attention.

Jack turned his death stare to Ben.

"I have something, probably important, to say. Carla, do you remember that thing I said to you, twenty second ago, that I don't have any idea of where we are?"

Carla now looked curios, and surprised at Ben, and even Jack moved forward, to the two of them, also curious about what Ben will say.

" _Yes_." She said, slowly, and curious.

"Good, because, actually, I _do_ have a idea, of where we are." Ben said.

Jack, that was next to Carla, shaked his head, and asked, not believing what Ben had said.

"How?"

"It was when i goed out searching, for Carla, I saw something." Ben replied, and pointed left, showing where he had searched.

Carla turned to Jack, and smiled at him.

"Oh, you two thought of me?" She said, teasing, and jokingly.

Jack just stared cold at her.

"Don't get used to it." He said, cold.

Carla chuckled, knowing that her joked worked as she had hoped. She then turned back to Ben, and asked curious.

"What did you see?"

"That's what I like to show you two." Ben replied, and waved his hand, showing them that they should follow him. He then walked down the path, that he had showed them.

Jack and Carla looked at each other, and then slowly followed ben, walking a some meters, and then found Ben, standing in a opening of the forest. They saw big field of grass without trees or bushes, showing that they had reached, the end of the forest.

And what they saw next, was amazing.

They saw, a big wall, seemingly to be build of some kind a sand colored stone, lined with gold. The wall rosed high over the trees, seeming to have no end.

But everything has a end, even this wall.

Over the wall, Carla was partially blinded, by the sun. She took her hand, up in front of her eyes. When her eyes had adjusted, to the light, she removed her hand.

She looked over the wall again, now, instead of being blinded, saw high towers, rising high into the sky, behind the wall.

She couldn't see all the details, but she could at least see that the towers, was made of the same material as the wall, and was also lined with gold. They could also sometimes see, big creatures, flying around the towers, with some being green, red, blue, and yellow.

"What is that place?" Jack finally said, still looking at the city, after the tree of them had standed, at least a some minutes, staring at the wall and towers.

"Is Warfang." Ben replied Jack, also still looking at the city.

Jack turned his head to Ben.

"What?" He asked, not having any memories, about something called Warfang.

"Warfang." Ben replied Jack again, and was still looking at the city.

Jack looked confused at Ben

"What is Warfa-" Jack didn't finish his sentence, as he was hit in the head, by the bottom, of what looked like a spear, knocking him out.

The same thing happened to Ben, also knocking him out.

Carla quickly turned around, but to no help, as she only managed to see something brown, and gold, before getting hit, between her eyes, knocking her out as well.

* * *

 **What will happen to Carla, Jack, and Ben, who had attacked them, and what will they do. And who is, the mysterious, dark figure. Find that out, in the next chapter.**

 **As you might see in this chapter, I have put some of my own lore into the story, and I hope you like it. As I wrote in the last chapter, I don't have any exact time on, when a new chapter comes out, but I will try my best, as I will try to do, in all of my chapters. And as always, I would like to get some reviews, of what you think of this chapter, and help point out misspelling. Now, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you will read the next chapter, when it comes out.**

 **(Spoiler warning!)**

 **There will be three dragons, in the next chapter, that i'm pretty sure, that you will recognize.**


	3. Chapter 3 Know your enemy

**Well….Here's a new chapter! Hope you will enjoy it.**

* * *

 _Chapter 3 Know your enemy_

" _Thank you_ "The shadow like figure said, with his demonic like voice, that was piercing thru Arkatic's soul, giving him an incredible uncomfortable feeling.

The shadowy figure, looked like nothing Arctic had ever seen. It had the legs of a ape, and head, but the slim and tall body of a cheetah. It had some kinda cloak on, but all other clothing features was hidden, by something that could only be described, as pure darkness.

This ' _darkness_ ' unnaturally covered the figure's hole body, like a aura. Making it looking like, as mentioned, a shadow. A darkness.

And the eyes. The eyes was the most disturbing thing, about this creature.

The eye sockets, looked like nothing more than a bright light, tempting every creature in it's eye sight, to follow it.

And if you get persuaded by this temptation, you will meet nothing more, than a white void, of nothingness. A void, tempting your most horrific desires, and showing all your life mistakes, and how they will affect people, how they will hate you, _despise_ you! And most of all, how your life mean as little as a _ant's_ , and that your just one, out of thousands, _billions_ of lives, that all matters more than yours, and how people will _spit_ on your grave, and _stamp_ on it, like it was a puddle, a toddler would hop on for _fun_! And when you die, you will end up in a void of nothingness, just like the on your _staring at_!

A void, showing the try horrors, of nothingness.

Arkatic was trying his best, not to look in the figure's eyes, as he could feel the light tempting his eyes to follow. And every time his eyes ended up following, he would end up getting a glimpse of this white void, that was the figure's eyes, before he would look away in shame and sadness, and disgust over himself.

" _Now that you're all quiet._ " The shadowy figure said, making Arkatic realise that it had no mouth, disturbing Arkatic even more, that he already was by this creature.

" _We can continue. As you all hopefully can remember, you were called here, by the shadow lord. And if you're all not as dumb as_ _I_ _expect, you will be able to figure out._ " He continued, and then slowly walked over to the throne, he had been standing beside at.

He walked with slow steps, like he wanted everyone in the whole room, to see him walk. His body also left a trail of dark fog behind it, like he was covered in black dust, and when he would walk, the dust would fall off.

When he reached the throne, he slowly sat down in it, and let out a sigh of relax, over sitting in the comfy looking throne.

" _That that's me_ " The figure said, who was the Shadow lord, to the crowd in front of him.

The only reaction he got, was a stare from the crowd, that didn't know what to say or do.

After some long, silent, and awkward seconds, the Shadow lord speaked under his breath, but loud enough so the dragons up front could hear him. Which contained of Arkatic, Fieres, the strange black scaled dragon, with the yellow stripes, Ica, Wolfer, that had goed up front, also interested in what the Shadow lord had to say, and then some ice dragons and very few fire dragons.

" _Well….this is a complete waste of time._ "

He then talked high enough so everyone in the room, could hear him.

" _Now,_ _let's_ _get started. As you all know,_ _you came here, because I need your, 'assistance', so let's-"_

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Arkatic yelled out of nowhere, surprising everyone in the whole room, including the Shadow lord, even thru it it's nearly impossible to see any impression on him. The only thing that could point out that he was surprised, was that he had gotten completely silent, and was staring right at Arkatic.

Arkatic was just as surprised as everyone else, over his sudden outburst. But he knew that he couldn't simply walk away _now_ , and that he needed to stand with his opinion, no matter what now.

"We all came here, because _you,_ promised us, supplies, warriors, help, and whatever everyone else needs! _NOT_ , because you, the lord of Whatever-your-lord-of needs _'assistance'_! Understood! So no more crap about how _WE,_ came here to help _YOU_!UNDERSTOOD! IS IT FREAKIN UNDERSTOOD!" Arkatic yelled at the Shadow lord, with the last part being echoed, in the room, making everyone clearly hear the last part, for some moments, before it finally got silent.

It was only now that Arkatic realised, that he under his speech, he had walked up the stairs to the throne, with only five steps separating him, and the Shadow lord.

The lord haven't been moved, under Arkatic's dramatic speech of his opinion. Literally. He haven't moved at all. The only thing he had done under the speech, was staring right at Arkatic. Which was very possible for him, without moving, since he have no pupils, and don't need to move for someone to feel like he is staring _right_ at them.

It was now that Arkatic's gaze, was fixed on the void, that was the Shadow lord's eyes.

The only thing that had keeping him from falling into this void, was his confidence, which he had gotten when he was doing his speech. Which was now over, so….not much help for him now.

Arkatic could feel his confidence quickly leaving him, now that he was staring into the Shadow lord's void like eyes.

But he was trying to keep himself together, which wasn't working. So he was now at the mercy of the Shadow lord's cold, and deadly stare.

Him and Arkatic was staring at each other, tensely, like they were having a stare contest.

And like all staring contests, there is only one winner. And that winner was, the lord.

Arkatic couldn't do this any longer, and quickly looked to his right, and sighed like he had been injured. He then turned around and began to slowly walk down the steps, looking down on the ground in shame, to the crowd under him, which were all following him with there eyes.

" _Good boy._ " The lord said, taunting and probably sarcastic.

Arkatic instantly stopped moving, and turned his head to the Shadow lord, and growled at him.

In response, the lord, turned his stare to Arkatic.

Arkatic stopped growling, and stared right at the lord, with eyes, burning with hatred.

But Arkatic could feel when there was no other outcome than defeat, and started walking back to the crowd. He stopped where he had been standing the whole time, and started to stand there again, and looking down on the ground.

The Shadow lord looked at Arkatic, who was starring the ground, before he turned his gaze to the dark stone floor under.

" _Well….that was dramatic._ " He said to himself, but loud enough so mostly everyone in the room could hear. Like he was taunting Arkatic. When you think about it, that was probably what he was doing.

He then standed up from his throne, shocking the crowd a little, with the sudden movement.

" _Let's get back to topic. Oh, and don't worry uh….whoever you are. We will get to the part, you was so anxious about."_ The Shadow lord said to the crowd, and pointed at Arkatic at the last part.

Arkatic looked up at him for a little moment, before he again looked down.

The lord then continued.

" _But first things first. We need to do something about what you call me. Because, honestly, it's going to get tiring of me getting called, 'the Shadow lord' for all of you, but mostly important, for me, the rest of your pity lives._ " The last part caught the crowd's attention, making them growl, and whisper to each other.

" _So from now on, I want all of you to call me, Shadow, or lord. You now, to better work 'together'._ " Shadow said, liking the idea of being called Shadow, instead of being called the Shadow lord, for the rest of the time he have to work with these dragons. And honestly, thinking about being called that forever, would eventually get annoying. And then think of if anybody should read or write a story, with on of the characters being called the Shadow lord. It would be madness!

Arkatic was looking around the crowd up front, seeing Fieres, Ica, Wolfer, some ice dragons, but last and not least, the mysteries, black scaled dragon, with the yellow stripes.

Arkatic had never seen, or heard of a dragon like him. The only dragon that could have any resembles to him was Cynder. And still then the only thing making them look remotely like each other, is their black scales.

The black dragon was looking up at Shadow, not really looking interested, but still didn't want to look away.

Arkatic began to look away, but just as soon as he had moved his head enough so he couldn't see the black dragon, the dragon spoke to him.

"Names Cenanus." The black dragon said, without looking at Arkatic, fast and swift, like when you swing a sword thru the air.

Arkatic was both shocked and surprised, and find himself again staring at Cenanus.

He then said, cautious, and nervous.

"Uhm….Arkatic."

"Okay." Cenanus replied, without emotion in his voice, and still not looking at Arkatic.

Before the two of them could have a real conversation, Shadow asked the crowd. " _Any questions?"_ And began to look around the crowd.

"I have one." A female dragon asked out of nowhere, even making shadow turn his head in surprise.

The dragoness was a ice dragon, with light blue scales, and a snow white belly. Her horns bent upwards, and where white like her belly. Her tail blade was like the one of a spear, and blue as ice. Her wings was also white, and her eyes was blue like the sea.

The dragoness walked up the the front of the crowd, and asked Shadow.

"What are you?"

The question waked whispers around the crowd, which all was also about the dragoness question. Because, no one really had and idea of what Shadow was.

Shadow stared at her, without moving a muscle. Completely motionless.

After a moment of anxious after hearing the answer from Shadow, he finally speaked up.

" _That's a good question."_

And before anyone could react, his hand had morphed into some kinda black spike, which went all the way from the throne, to the dragoness throat.

" _Don't ask it again."_ He said cold.

The dragoness began to silently panic, breath heavily, and sweat, as she could feel that the spike had pierced her scales. Then her warm draconic blood was slowly sliding over her scales like a snake down to her belly.

The spike that had emerged from Shadow's arm, looked like some kinda solid fluid. The surface of the spike moved, like there were a dark fog covering it. And the beginning of the spike, had several holes in it, that makes it possible to see through it. The end of the spike, was completely smooth, and pure like a refined stone.

Arkatic could feel the tense atmosphere in the room, making it feeling uncomfortable warm. Arkatic could feel his sweat slowly sliding down his head, to his shoulders, and then to his back.

Him, and mostly everyone else, was wondering what Shadow would do. Would he let her go. Or would he kill her on the spot.

As clan chief, Arkatic has also been standing in the same situation, to either kill, or let go.

He is still wondering if he made the right decisions.

While Arkatic was doing what mostly everyone was doing right now: thinking of a outcome. Something got his attention. It was Ica. He was completely covered in sweat, and breathing heavily, and you could see the panic in his, like he was really worried of something.

But before he could think more about that, his eyes got a glimpse of the current situation.

Shadow was slowly moving his arm back, removing it from the dragoness throat, making a little drops of blood, drip from the tip of the spike.

The dragoness took her hand, to her throat. She then let out a sigh of relief, when she came to the conclusion that it wasn't a serious injury, but only a flesh wound.

Arkatic could spot that Ica also let out a sigh of relief. But Arkatic was to busy in his own mind, to think more of that.

He was wondering how Shadow could let out such a fast attack, making Arkatic take to seconds before realising what had happen. And also how he could stop the attack, right before it would completely pierce thru her throat.

But that was questions to another day.

The crowd turned their attention to Shadow, just in time to see the bizarre transformation of the spike.

The spike shrunk down, to then split up to five smaller spikes, that later formed into shadow's fingers.

Shadow looked down on the crowd. He then said, relief over being done with that situation.

" _Well, good we got that over with. Now, let's get to the next topi-"_

"My lord, we have something you must see." An orc said, that had just gotten into the room, thru a door, where the throne was.

Shadow standed frozen a second. Before all hell broke loose.

" _WHAT IS THIS!"_ Shadow yelled at the orc, with a voice, sounding more demonic than before, making shriver's go thru Arkatic's spine, that had walk back a few steps, like the rest of the crowd.

" _HOW,DARE YOU TO INTERRUPT ME!"_ He continued, looking like he had gotten bigger. And the shadow from the corners in the room, was now beginning to grow all over the walls, floor and ceiling. Making the room filled with darkness.

" _YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON. OR ELSE IM GONNA TEAR YOUR EYES, OUT OF YOUR EYE SOCKETS, AND FEED THEM TO YOUR FRIENDS!"_ Shadow yelled at the orc, that he had now gotten corned up at the wall.

" _SO NOW TELL ME, WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT!"_

"We have captured a scout that was going around the castle!" The orc quickly and tearfied replied, and then closed his eyes and covered his face with his hand, clearly scared for his life.

Shadow then shrunk down to normal size, and asked the orc much calmer than before, and curious.

" _A scout?"_

"Yes yes, my lord, a cheetah scout, to be more exactly." The orc replied and showed with a hand movement, to two other orcs to come in.

The orcs was carrying the cheetah, and sat him down on his knees.

The cheetah had brown fur with black dots. His eyes was brown, and his ears was black. He was wearing green clothes, and a green cape, which both was as green as the trees.

" _Well….that's something."_ Shadow said, and slowly walked over to the cheetah.

When he came to the cheetah, he sat down on one knee and said somewhat amused.

" _Would you look at that!"_

The cheetah looked up at him and said confident and fearless.

"I won't tell anything you abomination of a creature." And spit on Shadow hitting his chest.

Shadow, while still staring at the cheetah, proceeded to wipe the spit of him.

He then got his head closer to the cheetah, making sure that the cheetah was staring into his eyes. He then said to the cheetah with a hypnotising voice:

" _Tell me, what is it that you fear?"_

"Uh, what?" The cheetah replied not really understanding, what Shadow meant.

" _What is it that you fear - what do you hate - what do you despise?"_ Shadow continued getting even closer to the cheetah.

"Uh, uhm." The cheetah said. He was sweating, and looking around panicky.

" _What is it, that you want to kill, right on the spot?"_

"Uh, uh,uh….." The cheetah said, right before he quickly got and arm free from one of the orcs, and took up a hidden dagger in his brown boots, which he then swinged at Shadow.

The cheetah smiled happily. Knowing that he`d succeeded his mission. Knowing that he had killed a new threat to his tribe, and possible, the whole world.

But that wasn't happening.

Instead, Shadow quickly raised his hand, making it pierce thru his hand, stopping it from hitting him.

The cheetah looked up at him, now with fear and shock in his eyes.

Shadow then said, emotionless and cold.

" _Right….me."_

He then took hold of the cheetah' hand which were holding the dagger, and pulled the hand back, making the dagger go out of his hand.

When the dagger came out, a few drops of some black liquor dripped from his hand. And then the hole which the dagger had left, instantly healed before the cheetah's eyes, looking like there never had been a hole in the first place.

Shadow then took the dagger out of the Cheetah's hand, and casted it away.

Shadow then got up and walked back the crowd.

" _Put him in the interrogation room."_ Shadow ordered the orc's, which right away took the cheetah away which stared at Shadow.

Shadow then clapped his hands and said to the crowd:

" _Now, let's get going!"_

Him and the clan chiefs and Fieres, which represented the fire king of Kharos, began to negotiate for ten minutes of what they should do.

In the end, they came to the agreement, that the clans of the Icy mountains, the colonies of the Barren lands, and the kingdom of Kharos would give some of their warriors to Shadow. Then in return Shadow would give them all the supplies they need, for as long as they want.

Shadow even made them sign a contract. With there blood.

He made two orcs go around the room, with one holding a dagger, that the dragons should use to cut there paw. The other orc was holding a piece of paper, with letters that none of the dragons understood. The meaning of this was that the dragons should let the blood from there cut on the paw, drip down on the paper.

In the start, the dragons was hesitant to do it. In the end, one after one followed, and the only one that still needed to do it, was Arkatic.

Arkatic looked nervous on the dagger and paper, which both was covered in dragonic blood. He kept looking at it, like a kid that won't eat is vegetables, but know that he needs to.

Arkatic slowly reached the dagger, and took it shakenly out of the orc's hand. The other orc placed the paper under Arkatic's paw, ready to be covered in more blood.

Arkatic opened his paw, and made the other on with the dagger ready to cut.

The dagger slowly got over the Arkatic's paw, which was shaken.

He had of course done things that was worse, but he saw Shadow as no more than an enemy. Which maybe could make you understand why he's not to happy about making a blood pact with him.

But Arkatic had no other choice.

He then began to count inside his mind.

 _Okay,okay, just do it….one….two….THRE-_

His counting was interrupted, when Cenanus walked over to him without he had noticed. Cenanus then took Arkatic's hand with the dagger, and pulled it down, cutting Arkatic's paw.

Cenanus then walked away without saying a word.

Arkatic was completely shocked and couldn't really understand what just had happen.

His blood from his paw then dripped down on the paper, and the orcs walked away.

Arkatic bit his lips, when the shook vanished, and was replaced with a sharp pain.

He have had worse injuries, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to feel pain.

The orcs walked up to Shadow and gave him the paper. He looked closely at the paper, and nodded now and then, like he could see which drops of blood belonged to who.

After a final nod, he gave the paper to the orc, which then walked out of the room.

" _Okay , that was the final thing, I think, uhm….yes it was!"_ Shadow said, and looked around the crowd. He got a series of confused glances from the dragons, which didn't quite understood the thing about the whole blood contract thing.

Arkatic and many other dragons, including Fieres, walked towards the exit but was stopped by the corrupted voice of Shadow.

" _HEY! I didn't mean that you could leave. Actually, it means actually the complete opperside."_ He said, with a much dark, and cold voice than before, making everyone stop and turn their heads to him with worriedness in there faces.

Shadow then turned around, and let out a little creepy laugh, putting his hand on his face.

When he removed the hand, he slowly turned back the crowd, in a disgustin and unnatural way. Even making a loud bone snap, making chills run down Arkatic's spine.

Arkatic began to sweat, not partuccely liking the last part Shadow said, and _defenltely_ not the creepy laughter or turn around.

" _It means, that all of you are gonna stay here, helping me. After all, you know by now that I need warriors. And the best way to get the best warriors, is taking the ones that are gonna give me warriors. It's simple logic."_

Arkatic was now shaking. He _knew_ something like this would happen.

" _And before you complain."_ Shadow said, and closed his eyes, and giggled a little. He then opened his eyes and continued.

" _It's already to late. Now….who's a good boy?"_

Without wasting any time Arkatic quickly ran towards the exit.

But as Shadow said….it was to late.

A big dark explosion happened at Shadow. The explosion created a dark fog, that quickly runned down to room, leaving a trail of unconscious dragons behind. Including Arkatic.

The only one of the dragons still conscious, was Cenanus.

Shadow walked down the steps from his throne down to the sleeping dragons.

He walked around them looking at them now and then before reaching his destination - Arkatic.

Cenanus walked over to Shadow and looked down on Arkatic, which Shadow was also doing.

"What do we do with him." Cenanus said, the way he usually does, cold.

Shadow looked up at him, and said confused.

" _What do you mean? Ohh, you mean the trouble he had caused? Ah, don't think about that. It just proves that we need him. And the rest."_ And looked around the unconscious dragons.

Cenanus simply nodded, before he asked Shadow.

"With all true respect my lord….Shadow? Really?"

Shadow looked back at Cenanus, and replied, annoyed.

" _Ohh, sorry, you try to find a good nickname to someone that calls himself the Shadow lord."_

Shadow then stared at Cenanus a little while, before he turned around, and walked to the nearest exit.

He then stopped.

" _Would you please, find someone to carry all of those body out of my throne room. Oh, and make sure that there ready."_ Shadow said, continued to walk to the exist.

When he was out of the room, Cenanus again looked down on Arkatic, and said with a somewhat sad voice.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

"Sooo….you're telling me, that we somehow have went into a game, that you have played years ago. Which it's set in a magical world, called the Dragon realm, which is inhabited by dragons, animal people, and fantasy monsters? And, that place we saw, was some kinda capitel for dragons, cheetahs, and moles, called Warfang? And that they are the most likely creatures, to have captured us?" Jack asked Ben.

"I wouldn't say that they have _captured_ us. But else, yeah." Ben replied.

There were a long and silent moment, before Jack gave his opinion on the situation.

"Firstly: That explanation makes no logical sense, and it's purely something you have made up. Secondly: We were knocked out, dragged somewhere we don't now, and bound to a chair, with sacks over our heads. That is the solely _definition_ , of being captured." Jack said to Ben. The only thing that made it possible for Jack to know where Ben was - were his voice.

"Hey, it was not so bad, I was hit so _fast,_ that i didn't even feel it. Except now. Because I have a bulge, that hurts, really, _really much_. But also, how would _you_ then explain where we are?" Ben said.

"I don't know, somewhere that actually makes _sense!"_ Jack replied, now getting angry at Ben.

" _That's_ what I am asking you about. Where are we that makes sense, mister _genies_!" Ben said now also getting angry.

"Would you just shut up, please!" Jack yelled at Ben.

While they continued their argument and Carla was lost in her thoughts.

Was that city that they saw real? What if Ben is saying the truth? But what if he isn't? What if the people that have captured them is going to hurt them? Where were they?

That kinda thoughts was roaming around her mind.

But the thought Carla was most thinking about is what happened.

She remember that they were walking down the usual street on their way home from school. They were talking, when they heard a honk behind them, and when they turned around….

Carla's mind snapped, now having a solid idea of what happen. She now knew….what was behind them. Something that's on the road. Something that honks. Something that have two bright lights on front.

Carla's thoughts was interrupted, when something that sounded like a door opened up at there left.

Jack and Ben's argument completely stopped, and the three of them turned their heads in the direction of the sound.

They could hear footsteps, with some being loud, going closer to them.

When the footsteps stopped, they could hear breathing.

"Now you're going to see, that I`m right, that we`re _not,_ trapped in some _magical_ place." Jack said, convinced that it was humans that had walked over to them.

Jack then continued, fully confident that he was right.

"Now there going to take off these bags, and were going to see the _sick_ people that have kidnapped us, okay? Not some Cheetahs, not some apes, not some moles, and _Not_ , some drago-OH MY GOD!" Jack screamed, probably using all the air in his lungs.

The scream completely surprised Carla, because she had gone into her thoughts again.

Only two seconds later, both Ben and Carla got their bags off, revealing a grey stone room, and a wood table in front of them. And in front of the table, three dragons. A yellow, blue, and green. The yellow dragon was standing in front of Ben. The blue one in front of Jack. And the green on, in front of Carla. On there left and right, there was standing some humanoid like moles, with brown fur, gold armor, and spears.

Carla opened her mouth in surprise, and was nearly going to faint. She then tried to close her mouth again, but to no use.

"I wonder what god they could refer to. It would be a great benefit to find out more about this god. Maybe it could be some kinda human ancestor? Do you three mind, if I ask a couple questions abou-" The yellow dragon said, eager and filled with energy, nearly not even stopping to breath. It was nearly impossible for Carla to follow his words, before he was interrupted by the blue dragon to his left.

"Would you shut that mouth of yours Volteer? If you forgotten, We're _interrogating our prisoners."_ The blue dragon said to the yellow dragon, which name was apparently Volteer. Volteer in response rolled his eyes and stopped talking. The blue dragon said the last part whispering but Carla,Ben and Jack could still hear it.

Jack nervously leaned over to Ben and said nervous and whispering to him, while still keeping his glance at the dragons.

" _Said that we were prisoners."_ And then leaned back over to his place.

The blue dragon turned his head to the green on and said:

"What do you suggest we do, Terrador?"

The green dragon, Terrador, in response, turned his head to the blue dragon, and said with an old and wise voice:

"What do you think we should do, Cyril?"

* * *

 **Thank You for reading this chapter, I hope you will make a review. I would appreciate your opinion on this story, and what you think. I would also like to say thank you to those of you that have followed my Fanfiction account, and those who favorited my story. See you in the next chapter!**

 **(When it comes out)**


	4. Chapter 4 Know your allied

**Thank You for reading this chapter, hope you will enjoy it!**

* * *

 _Chapter 4 Know your allied_

"Aha, I knew it! I was right!" Ben blurred out happy, like a little child when it`s christmas.

The three dragons that was twice as big as them, Cyril, Volteer and Terrador, have been staring at the three friends Ben, Jack, and Carla for a long and silent moment. When Ben interrupted the silence, the three dragons turn their stares to him.

"Would you shut up! Your not right! This is definitely a dream. It must be! It's the only logical explanation." Jack said to Ben, with a tone of anger, but also doubt.

The three dragons now turned their heads to Jack.

"It can't be a dream! We have after all been knocked out two times. And even though I can't pinch myself, that bulge still hurts pretty bad. So, no! It can't be a dream!" Ben said as a comeback to Ben, also with a tone of anger, but instead of doubt, confidence.

Again the dragons turned their heads to Ben.

"That doesn't prove anything!" Jack said to Ben, keeping the argument alive.

They kept argumenting, and the dragons kept turning their heads, looking rather amusingly funny.

But then the green dragon, Terrador, stopped and then stared at Carla. She was looking down on the ground, scared to look up at the creatures that she was facing. She had seen dragons before, in games,movies and books, but as any normal human being, she had never seen a real one before.

Terrador kept staring at her, with eyes of wisdom, curiosity….and guilt.

The guilt he was having, is that kinda guilt you want to forget, but forced to confront. A guilt you wanna get rid of, but have consequences to do so, and more if you don't. Both leading in the end to more guilt, and sorrow.

"ALL RIGHT! That's enough!" The blue dragon Cyril yelled in frustration over how annoying Ben and Jacks argument was getting. Jack and Ben jumped in their chairs of surprise.

Terrador turned his eyes back to Ben and Jack.

While Ben was surprisingly calm, Jack was starting to panic a little, and sweat was slowly siding down his face, from his forehead.

Cyril cleared his throat, before he said with a serious tone.

"Okay. No more unneeded nonsense. Now, you three are gonna tel-"

"You're absolutely right." Ben interrupted Cyril, making him stop in surprise. Ben then leaned closer to the dragons, in his chair.

"First, has Malefor been defeated?" Ben asked quickly, before he could be stopped. Cyril was about to say something when Ben came out with another question.

"Did Spyro and Cynder survive?"

"Uh-" Cyril had just enough time to say, before Ben came with another question.

"Did Ignitus survive?"

"Has Warfang been rebuild?"

"Is there peace in the Dragon realm again?"

"Is there a new threat?"

"Are the Dark army defeated?"

"Is-"

"For the ancestors sake, shut it!" Cyril said to Ben, happy to stop the constant questions, that were beginning to give him a headache.

Ben instantly stopped talking, and leaned back into his chair.

Cyril then sighed tired, and looked down, and took his paw to his head. Terrador took a look at Ben, and then turned to Volteer.

"He reminds me of someone." He said, in a sarcastic tone, while looking at Volteer.

It took a moment for Volteer to realise that Terrador was looking at him,and looked to both sides, and then at Terrador.

"What?" He said, completely oblivious.

Terrador then walked over to Cyril, and gave him a nod meaning that he would take care of it for now. Cyril at first was confused, but then rolled his eyes, and made space for Terrador to speak with the three friends.

"Now, I`m gonna ask you three some questions, and I hope that you will cooperate." He said with a voice, making you feel safe, but also making you be disciplined.

The three of them slowly nodded. Terrador nodded back.

"Good. Firstly, where did you come from?"

He looked at each of them, waiting for one of them to answer. Jack was the one to answer, saying the only thing he could think of.

"Uhh…. _Earth._ " He nervously said, and leaned a little back, hoping that he didn't say something stupid, as he didn't know if the dragons knew what earth was.

Behind Terrador, Volteer's face lit up. He then started to talk non-stop.

"Earth, yes, a very interesting world far different from ours having no magic but instead a high level understanding of technology and highly populated with only one race the humans, yes the humans a very-" He said, before finally being stopped by Cyril, who gave him a death stare making Volteer stop, and looked sadly down on the ground.

"Whait, how do you know so much about earth? I don't know much about this world, but I know enough to know that you don't have a big connection to ours." Carla said, surprising all five beings in the room, making them all turn to her. She then looked nervous at them, and started to sweat a little.

"You're right." Terrador said, to Carla's surprise.

"It is indeed a good question, little one." He continued, now with eyes of approval and fascination, over before seeing a small weak and scared creature, now seeing a confident and strong being. Terrador then said:

"And that is a question that I think we need to answer."

"WHAT!" Cyril yelled at Terrador, which Terrador in response calmly turned to Cyril.

"We can't just tell them this! It's highly classified, and besides, they could be spies, enemies, they could be working with _him"_ Cyril said, trying to stop Terrador from making a big mistake. The last part he said seems like he had something gross in his mouth that he needed to spit out.

Terrador's face expression changed after those words, into sadness. Like when you're thinking of a bad memory.

"Cyril, there only little ones." He said, with the sad expression being a little more absent.

"He was too." Cyril said, with no emotion whatsoever.

For Terrador the words felt like a cold breeze, that blows into his face. But this time the words didn't sadden him, instead he standed strong.

Him and Cyril begin to stare at each other tensely, before Volteer interfired.

"Terrador's right - the best cause of action is to corporate with the humans and the best way to do that is by explaining our current situation, we are standing in." Volteer explained, backing up Terrador.

Cyril look form Volteer to Terrador, before turning around proudly and going to the door.

"Now that it is clear to me, that I don't have anything to say in the matter, Im just gonna go and leave this to you. I have duties to attend to after all." He said and left the room.

There were an awkward silence, before Volteer shattered that silence.

"Well that was surely dramatic I would say so myself." Terrador approved with a nod.

"Alright, now that's over, I have some questions." Ben said to Volteer and Terrador.

"Yeah, me too." Jack said, a little nervous. He had nearly been completely silent, since the dragons came into the room.

Terrador looked at Jack, inspecting him.

"And what that might be?" He said to Jack, stepping a little closer to him. Jack got surprised over the sudden movement in his direction, leaning back a little. He then cleared his throat and answered, hoping that he did not sound scared, like a little child.

"L-like, who was that guy you were talking about, that you compared to us. Is he a human, like us?"

Terrador looked thoughtful at Jack. It wasn't his first interrogation, so he could spot when someone was scared. And even thru Jack was good to hide it, he was scared for his life.

Terrador was thinking for some prober words, before finding the ones that he found most suitable.

"If that's your question, I will answer it."

"Really!" Jack blurred out with no sign of fear, only surprise.

"Yes." Terrador answered calmy.

Now the three friends were waiting in anticipation to hear what Terrador was going to tell.

Terrador cleared his throat, before starting. When he started to speak his voice was wise and believing, making the three of them want to hear, and trust his words.

"Let me start from the beginning. There were at prophecy, about purple dragons, that could only be born every ten generation. These purple dragons could wield the four guardian elements; fire, ice, earth, and lightning. They can also wield other elements, like air,wind, and even convexity. These elements are the ones that dragons can wield, with the help of magic. The elements is represented by four guardians, each master of a element. I'm Terrador, the guardian of earth". Terrador looked over to Volteer. "He is Volteer, the guardian of lightning". -Terrador turned his head back to them. " And the one that left" - He then nodded to the door - "is Cyril, the guardian of ice. And the guardian of fire…."

Terrador looked down on the ground, before letting out a sigh of sadness. He then looked up again, now with a tired expression.

"I will get to that. One day, a purple dragon was born, and was named Malefor. When he got older, he was taking to a temple, where we the four guardians, trained him. After years of training he became stronger than any dragon known in history."

Terrador got sad again, and tried his best not to let out another sad sigh, before continuing. "In the start, Malefor was well behaved, and some say he had a golden heart. But when his hunger for power became to much for him, he seeked power in dark magic, which corrupted his mind and turned him against us. He then let a genocide out on all the beings in the Dragon realm. 'The dark army' his army was called, and consisted of evil creatures created by himself, and apes. Simpel mercenaries working to get some coin in there pockets. But when he was sealed in Mount Malefor, the Dark army still continued there master's rampage. They even let out an attack on the dragon temple, where all dragon eggs were stored and protected from the war. The attack was commanded by Malefor's main general, Gaul, the ape leader. They crushed awry egg, except one. A rare black egg. When it hatched, a little black scaled dragoness came out, named Cynder. They then corrupted her, and made her a war machine for the Dark master, another name for Malefor. Her and Ghaul let out several attacks on the dragons, moles, and cheetahs. And just when the war seemed lost, another survivor from the attack on the temple was found. Another purple dragon, named Spyro. No one knew who his parents was, and he had seemingly been raised by dragonflies." Terrador said, still a little skeptical on the last part. He then continued.

"It was the guardian of fire, Ignitus, that found him. Together they took back the Dragon temple from the apes. Ignitus sended Spyro out to free the rest of us guardians, as we currently was being used as living batteries."

"Not a very pleasant experience I must comment." Volteer said, still ashamed by the whole 'living batteri' part.

"I agree with Volteer." Terrador said, probably also still ashamed.

"As I said", Spyro got sent out to free us, and succeeded. "When we were back together we planned and attack on Cynder, who had used our drained powers to try to get Malefor back to our world. Spyro lucky stopped Cynder and defeated her. And when Spyro defeated Cynder, the corruption was somehow broken, and he brought her back here. After some time had passed, Cynder ran away, and Spyro followed her. I don't remember that part to good, but I believe that they got captured by airship pirates, and then got to Mount malefor. It was the Eternal night, and Gaul was trying to bring Malefor back. Spyro and Cynder defeated him, but was not able to stop the ritual that brought Malefor back. They then got frozen in a crystal, and three years later, they got out. But Malefor's minions where waiting and they put a magic chain on them, to keep them together. But they got away with the help from our cheetah friend, Hunter. They together made there way back to Warfang by a secret passageway. Warfang is a city build by the moles to the dragons, to show our friendship. When they got there the city was under siege by the forces of the Dark army. Together we fout of against the Dark army, and drew them back. But then unfortunately Malefor summoned a being called 'the Destroyer'. A being known to, by myths, to bring forth a new world, by destroying the old own. We tried to confront it, but with no success. Spyro and Cynder then choose to confront Malefor, but he had made a ring of fire called 'the Belt of fire' around Mount Malefor, where he was hiding. With the help from Ignitus, they got pass it. But with one cost. His life." Again Terrador tried to keep a sigh back, making it possible to see how much he was trying to stay strong and brave, and not fall down a pit of sadness and despair.

"He was a good friend." Terrador finally said, silently.

"In the end, Spyro and Cynder confronted Malefor, and won. But to save the world, Spyro used all his power to save the world, and reborn it again. Miraculous they both survived. Some call it a miracle from the ancestors, some call it luck. Spyro was very weakened by using so much power, but in time he healed. Then the rebuilding of Warfang begun, and the rest of the Dark army was being hunted down, and everything seemed fine." Terrador's expression then suddenly got cold and emotionless, scaring Carla a little, but she chose not to show it.

"Until a month after the defeat of the Dark master, a strange creature was found in the forest outside Warfang. A creature, with pink skin and the body of a cheetah, and face of an ape. First we were cautious with this being, but in time, we got to know him better, and considered him a friend. We found out that he was just a boy, named Toby, and came from a whole nother 's how we know so much about your world." Terrador said and looked over at Carla.

"This opened up so many new possibilities. Like the idea of several other worlds, dimensions."

"Ah the multiverse theory, I never get tired of that one." Volteer said to himself, and wandered into his own mind.

Terrador then continued.

"For some time, everything was fine, then an attack on Warfang happened. It was remnants of the Dark army. There group was just as big as a small army. If they just attacked outside the walls we could easily defeat them. But unfortunately, they found a big crack in the wall, yet not fixed, and there they got in and started to attack the citizens." Terrador stopped for a moment, probably thinking of that day and other massacres, he had seen in his life.

"When we finally killed the attackers, we found Toby, kneeling over a dead dragon hatchling. It must have been the first time for him to see the costs of war. He seemed, changed after that. Less cheerful as before, and more serious."

Terrador, and the three humans hold a moment of silence, all looking down. After some time Terrador continued.

"Toby also started to train with Hunter, and becoming quite good at it. He would also go out exploring and training in the Avalar forest. One day, he found a cave. Inside, there where a big round purple crystal inside. He hurried back to report about his findings. Volteer was able to find a book about this crystal. Apparently they are created when a force of power happens, like when Spyro saved this world. The point is that it is said to be dangerous, and corrupt the weak minded, into slaves of evil. We needed to destroy it before it would cause a threat, and Toby volunteered to do it. First we were wondering if it was a good idea, but came to the conclusion that we could trust Toby to fulfill this mission. It probably wasn't a good idea, because we haven't seen Toby after that, and the last remnants of the Dark army that we were tracking, simply disappeared. Some of our best scouts have been sent out to find them, but they never come back, when they stay on the right path long enough. There have also been some reports of strange activity in the north. And we think that the disappearance of Toby and the crystal ball can't possible be a coincidence. Now, any questions." Terrador said, looking at the three friends, waiting to see if any of them would have a question.

They simultaneously shook their heads, already having enough trouble comprehending everything Terrador just said.

"Well then." Terrador said, with a little touch of excitement.

"Let's get you out of this uncomfortable room, it's not a good first impression to our guests, wouldn't you say?"

He then walked behind the three of them, and used his claw to cut over the robes. They then sat up from the chairs, and stretched out. Volteer then opened the door, and with a paw motion showed that they could go out. Terrador then let out the small group to the door. Carla noticed that Jack was sweating and holding his fingers crossed, behind his back.

 _What is he now up to?_ She thought, before they came to the door, were her question would be answered.

"Okay, when I count to three, we run as fast as we can to the nearest exit, understand? _"_ Jack whispered to them, and before Ben and Carla could protest, he started counting.

" _1 - 2 - 3!"_ Jack yelled, when they came out of the room, and into the hallway. He then started running as fast as he could, down the hallway. Terrador, Volteer, Ben and Carla looked at him while he ran. Ben and Carla was the only ones that didn't seem surprised, while Terrador and Volteer had a face of shock and surprise.

"Do he have this kind of behavior often?" Terrador asked without looking at Carla and Ben.

"Yup." Ben answered.

"Quite astonishing how quickly he can run with such a small body and limited muscle mass." Volteer said, while inspecting the blurred out sight of Jack running.

"He tries his best." Ben said, while nodding his head a little several times. Ben then began to walk, waving at them.

"Comeon, we need to catch up with him!"

The others then also started to walk.

The hall wasn't to much. It was made of grey stone, and was lighted by torches. There were wooden doors lined with gold, on each side, and a few potted plants. In the end of the hallway Carla could see a massive light, probably Jack that have found the exist.

When they came to the end, she needed to shield her eyes with her hand, so she wouldn't be blinded. She could spot that it was a double door, also lined with gold. She could also see Jack, standing still.

"Hey!" She said to Jack, still shielding her eyes.

"I thought you were running awa-" She stopped when she saw what Jack was looking at, now that she could see without being blinded.

It was several big towers, like the ones they saw outside the city. She also saw several dragons in different colors, flying around. And the wall, that was a barrier between the city, and a huge grass field, with forest on each side, and a blue sky with some white clouds. And the best, was the sun. It lighted up everything, making it look beautifly unreal. Making it look, magical.

It was truly a magical sight.

Now Carla and Jack stood there, with their mouths wide open. Then Ben also joined, making them look like three statues. Terrador then walked over to them, standing in front of Carla. He then said, like when you welcome somebody to your home.

"Welcome, to the Dragon realm!"

* * *

"Uhhh." Arkatic said, nearly half a sleep. He felt dizzy and tired, and nearly couldn't feel his surroundings. He could feel that he was laying on a bed at least. His body also hurt, and he had a headache. He then got up, and hold to his head hoping the headache would go away soon. When the pain had decreased, he opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was his paw, which scales once were blue, now was black, just like Cenanus.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always I would like to get reviews and your opinion about my story!**


	5. Chapter 5 Definition of regret

**Welcome to the next chapter! Hope you like it. Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Chapter 5 Definition of regret_

"No no NO!" Arkatic yelled frantically, as he inspected his paw. He started to look down his arm, to his belly, seeing more black scales.

He shook his head in denial, and tried to get down from the bed. But because of his shock and panic, he fell down on the ground, landing on his back. He quickly got up, and when he was standing back on his feet, he noticed a conveniently placed mirror, on the wall in front of him.

It was just as big as himself, which made it possible for Arkatic to see his new form.

Nothing to physical had changed, only the color of his scales. Most of his scales where black, with some lines of his normal scales, looking like blue cracks in the body. His wings was also its normal color, except the lining of them, that was just as dark as most of his body. His spikes from his neck to his tail, was blue as normal. There were also some small blue triangles around his eyes, looking like they were a pair of small suns.

Arkatic stood there a long moment, inspecting his own reflection, that was strange and looking far from his own. He simple couldn't believe this body to be his. He then started to walk closer to the mirror, with slow, and cautious steps. When he got to the mirror, he started to closely inspect his eyes, hoping them not to look dark and foggy like Cenanus.

He was relieved to find them normal. He closed his eyes, and let out a sigh of relief. When he opened them back up, he started to go backwards, so he could see his whole body again.

He then just stood there, thinking. Then, the pieces came together, as he realized what had happen. His last memories was foggy, but he could remember that he was trying to escape from Shadow, after he had revealed that he wasn't going to let them go. Everything after that was black.

His expression turned to anger, as he was starting to growl. Arkatic then formed his paw into a fist, and punched it down into the floor.

"He will pay for this!" Arkatic said, with a hissing voice, showing his anger.

"He did this! That, that….that _thing_ , did this to me! He _will,_ PAY!" He yelled to himself, with the same hissing voice.

He then punched the floor again, and again, and again. He kept doing, while swearing and cursing, praying that Shadow would be sent to the most horrific place he could think of. Arkatic completely taken over by rage. He kept doing that a minute or so, before a ape came, and opened the door, to Arkatic's right.

"The lord want you to go outside, so hurry up," the ape said, with a tired voice, and look.

Arkatic looked up at the ape in surprise, and then asked, still with his fist in the floor.

"What do you mean by that he wants me outside?"

The ape rolled his eyes, and said with a voice, that matched his insult.

"It _means,_ that the lord wants you to get out of your cozy little room, and that you need to hurry. I at least inspected you _savages_ to understand such a simple command, but I guess I was wrong." He then showed Arkatic a mocking smile, and little laugh. He was then about to close the door and leave.

Arkatic tried to quickly come up with a fitting insult, as he wasn't going to let this simple mercenary insult him.

He then came to a realisation.

"Hey! Werent your kind supposed to be half rotten living corpses, biting each other like feral animals?" Arkatic said as both an insult, and a question.

The ape stared at Arkatic with hateful eyes, before he hissed, and closed the door with a bang.

 _Huh, guess I touched a soft spot._ Arkatic thought to himself. While he of course did not inspect an answer to his question, as it was part insult, he at least hoped to get some kinda idea, that could answer his question.

He then looked down on the floor, to see that his fist had made a big hole in the ground, with several cracks around it. He then carefully took his paw up, to see that his paw was bleeding, and a few small stones from the floor had gotten stuck in it.

He then started to feel the pain, but washed it off, and tried to get the pieces of stone out of his hand. He kept his mouth shut, pressing his teeth strongly together, as he with his claws took piece by piece out. When he had taken all those he could see off his paw, he started to inspect his surroundings.

It was a little grey stone room, he was in. With both the walls, ceiling, and floor being made out of this grey stone. On the walls there were some dark brown wooden shells, with some pots, and candles. And of course the mirror in front of him. There were also the bed, that took most of the space on the one side of the room. And then there where the door that the ape had come from, that was made of some black wood, with some kinda symbols in it. On the wall to the left side of the bed, there were a little window, that was nearly touching the ceiling. Arkatic was only able to see the blue sky outside, nothing else. The light from the window was enough to light up the place.

It all seemed to nice for a creepy castle, that probably had been owned by the Dark master.

Arkatic then turned his attention to the black door, and stared at it for some time, thinking about if he should go out, and try to find out what was happening. Or he could stay here, and wait for Shadow's minions to come and drag him out.

Even though Arctic was tempted to stay, just so he could mock Shadow, he chose to take the chance and go out.

He walked over to the door, with firm steps. He took his arm up and with his paw he, he opened to door.

When he walked outside he was first greeted by the sharp light from the sun, that temporarily blinded him. When he could see again, he saw other dragons from the meeting before, all with the same dark scales, like himself. He looked around, and started to go around, to inspect his surroundings.

First he noticed some kinda outside square, surrounded by the black stone castle. In the middle there were some dragons fighting, in what seemed like a big training ground. There were wood dummies that was being slashed, hit, and shot at with elemental attacks from the different type dragons. But they weren't being destroyed.

 _Probably some kinda magic forcefield, I guess._ Arkatic thought to himself.

Along the walls surrounding the training ground, there were a roof over it, kept up by pillars, making a small passage way. There were also the same kind of doors like the one room he had woken in alongside the walls, and there were something that looked like a big entrance to the square, on one of the sides. The entrance was guarded by apes, with spears, round metal shields. Them, and most of the other apes, wore full shiny, full body metal armor. These ones also wore a metal helmet, that covered the ape's whole face.

He then started to see what kinda dragons where in the training ground. They seemed like the ones from the meeting, with the many ice and few fire dragons. They all somewhat looked the same with the same dark scales, but he was able to spot a few noticeable trade marks. He wasn't able to spot Ica or Wolfer. He didn't care if they were here or not, but he was curious.

He standed there, wondering and thinking, when suddenly something called his name some meters away.

He curiously turned around to see Fieres running towards him.

"Arkatic!" Fieres yelled at Arkatic, with a touch of surprise and happiness in his voice.

"Fieres?" Arkatic said with surprise.

When Fieres came to him, he noticed that he had the same dark scales like all the others and himself.

"I thought that they had killed you, or thrown you away or something." Fieres said to Arkatic.

"That's what I thought would happen to all of us, If I must be honest" He replied. He then started to think over what he had said.

"Why _didn't_ that happen." He said, while looking around.

Fieres looked at him with a thoughtful look, before clearing his throat and saying:

"When I, and most of the others woke, Shadow came and personally explained for us what had happen. He had apparently after we had gotten unconscious used a ancient and long forgotten magic wielded by dark magic users many ages ago to-"

"Hey hey! Slow down, you gonna blow a vein." Arkatic interrupted Fieres. Fieres in return gave him a insulted look.

"Short version, thank you." He continued, giving Fieres a small teasing smile.

Fieres looked at him some seconds with the same look, before he said:

"Fine. Shadow used magic, made our scales black, telling us to train. There. Simple enough for a savage, I hope." He then gave Arkatic the teasing smile.

Arkatic in return gave him a silent, but hateful stare.

Fieres couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

Arkatic rolled his eyes, turned around and started walking, and said on his way, with confidence in his voice:

"Now that it didn't help at all, I will go and try to find Shadow, make him tell me what's going on. And then I will say what I think of this mess."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Cenanus said to him, while sitting between Fieres and Arkatic.

Arkatic jumped in surprise, and screamed, getting most creatures attention around them, making them turn their heads to them. Fieres also got surprised, but not as much as Arkatic.

"Where did you come from?!" Arkatic asked angry, with wild eyes and heavy breathing from the surprise.

"From the front entrance over there." Cenanus replied calmly, and pointed to the big entrance.

"Like normal and civilized creatures."

Arkatic didn't know if he should take it as an insult or not. But he did knew what to ask. When he had gotten calm and started to breath normally, he asked.

"What did you mean, when you said that it wouldn't be a good idea?"

"The lord isn't in the mood to talk right now. I hope you can understand that." He said, still calm.

Arkatic looked Cenanus in the eyes, and said with a firm voice:

"And I hope that _you_ can understand, that I want to know what happened, with me and the others. For example, what are all these black scales doing on _me_!"

Cenanus looked down and sighed tired, before looking back up, and said:

"Here's a tip. A little drop of blood, can do many more things, that you can expect. If you have the right tools."

Arkatic didn't entirely understand what Cenanus ment, and thought it to be a misleading answer. He was about to say something, when he spotted in the corner of his eye, Shadow, standing at the entrance talking with an ape.

He looked at Shadow in a moment, before saying to Cenanus:

"Thanks for nothing. Now, excuse me."

He then started to walk away, with firm steps, knowing that he will need to be tough to get answers out of this mysteries lord.

Cenanus just followed Arkatic with his eyes, before letting out another sigh. Then Fieres also started to walk, but instead, down to the training grounds.

While walking, Fieres noticed an ice dragon standing where he needs to go, looking at him.

"What do you want, _savage._ Step out of the way." Fieres said, and pushed the dragon with his shoulder, And kept walking.

The dragon followed him with his eyes, staring at the fire dragon, with eyes filled with hatred and rage.

When Arkatic had walked through the training ground, he got close enough so Shadow saw him. He then did something, that looked like he sighed.

When Arkatic got close enough to hear Shadow, the first think he heard was him telling the ape to go away.

"You need to explain some things." Arkatic said, when he came face to face with Shadow.

Shadow looked at him a little while, before turning his stare to Cenanus that was coming up to them. Cenanus then said with a tired voice:

"Im sorry my lord, he was just to fast."

Shadow slowly nodded, before saying, with his demonic voice:

" _I shall believe that, when cheetah's can fly._ "

He then turned back to Arkatic. Cenanus started to walk away.

" _Now, want do you want. I was busy with something._ " He said, and stared right at Arkatic with his void like eyes.

Arkatic was shaking with anger, and one of his eyes was twitching. His eyes was burning with hatred, and so was his voice, as he said to Shadow:

"What I want, _WANT I WANT_! I want _you,_ to tell me what the hell is going on here! _FOR EXAMPLE_ , what is all of this with the black scales! _WHAT_ have you done, and how do you make me back to normal!"

Arkatic was now the one to stare at, as he kept eye contact with Shadow. They stood there in sometime, before Shadow started to hysterically laugh. This made Arkatic more angry, but also curious. When Shadow stopped laughing, he looked at Arkatic, and said:

" _Is it just that?"_

Arkatic gave him a frustrated look.

" _Okay, let me explain. I simple used dark magic to turn you into, this. Don't ask what kinda magic, it is to complicated. And if you want it to go away, you need to earn it_."

"What do meen, that I have to 'earn it'." Arkatic asked, having nervous thoughts of what Shadow would ask of him.

" _Oh, that's simple_." Shadow replied, and got his face right up into Arkatic's. He then said, with a voice, sounding like it belongs to a snake.

" _Now that you, and your soldiers, and all the others, work for me now, you are gonna have to work. And for that to happen most successfully, I need to make you all show some respect. And so you don't try to kill. And for that to happen, I made sure the only one that can take this, 'curse' off all of you. Is me_."

Arkatic looked at Shadow in shock.

" _WHAT._ I didn't report the final outcome of the meeting! How should they now!" He said, getting the idea he might have been betrayed, by his own clan.

" _Again, there's a simple answer. You know, that little blood contract we made_?" Shadow said, and looked at Arkatic, with what seemed like a curious expression.

Arkatic looked startled at Shadow, now remembering what Cenanus said, echoing in his mind. ' _A little drop of blood, can do many more things, that you can expect. If you have the right tools_.'

" _Yeah, that contract_." Shadow said like he was happy, after seeing the realisation striking Arkatic. He then turned away from Arkatic, and took his arms behind his back, and looked over the training dragons.

" _It's incredible how many things, A drop of blood can do, when it comes to dark magic. Like, impersonating the persons handwriting. Or curse them_." He said, and turned back to Arkatic.

Arkatic was completely frozen by anger. His face then started to twitch, and he showed his teeth, and started growling. He then said, with more hatred in his voice than before.

" _You, lying, vile, foul, SON OF A_ -"

" _Now now, we don't need any of that language here_." Shadow said, and chuckle a little.

Arkatci looked at him with a death stare, with burning hatred, completely forgetting his fear for Shadow's eyes. He then walked right in front of Shadow, standing only a few centimeters away from him, and said.

"You will tell me, what I want to know. What your plans are, what your magic is, and what you are-" Shadow got his face really close to Arkatic's, and said with a voice, sounding like it came from a demon.

" _All you need to know_." He then paused, to make sure that Arkatic was feeling fear.

He did.

" _Is your place_." He then stopped again, and started to walk, making Arkatic walking backwards, until he hit a pillar, where Shadow also stopped.

You could see the fear and panic in Arkatic's eyes, as he started to heavily breath. He also started to feel sweat, dripping down from his forehead.

" _And that place, is under my foot, and here. So don't you dare talking about leaving. After all, where would you go. You will keep looking like that without my help. And im pretty sure, that no clan, or even anyone in the Dragon realm, would want to live with a freak of nature, like you right now. Who knows. Maybe you will be confused with the Dark master himself, as one of his forms. And who knows that. Me. So now go, and play with your new buddies. Or try to kill them. I don't care. But then again.._."

Shadow then quickly morphed his arm into a spike, with somehow the sound, like your rubbing a sword over a piece of metal. A spike, just like the one he used on the dragoness. And just like that time, the tip pierced his scales on his throat.

Arkatic could feel a little drop of his blood, slipping down his body. A strange thing he realised at that moment. His blood wasn't warm, but cold.

" _We wouldn't want a rogue dragon, killing my new warriors, would we_." Shadow said, with a voice, sounding like he would fully enjoy killing Arkatic.

Then Shadow's face started to twitch, making his arm spike also twitch. Expanding the cut on Arkatic's throat. Arkatic tried his best to hold in a hiss of pain, but after a slightly bigger twitch from Shadow, he couldn't. Which seemed to give Shadow a little feeling of joy.

Then Shadow just seemed to stop, like he had been frozen. He also had some kinda look, like his mind was clouded by one thought. Arkatic knew that look too well. He had seen it before. And experienced it himself. He knew what would happen next. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate. But that didn't stop his fear, as he started to panicky shake, and squeezing his eyes closer and closer.

 _So, this is it_. Arkatic thought to himself. _By the ancestors, do it already. I can't take it any longer._

Arkatic felt a sharp pain in his throat.

He then opened his eyes, one by one. To see, that Shadow had taken his spike back. Shadow then morphed it back into a arm, in front of Arkatic. Shadow looked, somewhat sad, like a kid that has been told to go to sleep.

" _I don't have time for this_." Shadow said, with a uncaring tone.

" _Go and train, you will need it. Also, I didn't give you, and the others, these black scales just to keep you in check. There are some things that follows with it_." Shadow said, and moved back to give Arkatic some space.

Arkatic slowly moved away from the pillar, and took to his throat. He then asked Shadow, with a shocked and hoarse voice:

"L-like what?"

" _You'll see_." Shadow replied, and walked down the entrance, in the end coming out of Arkatic eyesight.

Arkatic turned away from the entrance, and looked at the paw he had used to hold on the cut. The blood was still liquid, and Arkatic started to rubbing it, with the same paw it was on.

Cold. The blood was cold.

He looked curious at it, before deciding to rub it off on the stone ground under him. It left a little trail blood on the ground.

Arkatic then looked forward, to see Cenanus looking at the training dragons.

 _He did this. He knew what would happen when he cut my paw_. _He knew all about_ _Shadow's plan_. Arkatic thought to himself. He then furious started to speed-walk over to Cenanus.

When Cenanus noticed Arkatic walking over to him, he said:

"Well that went smoothly, didn't it?"

"You knew about this didn't you!" Arkatic said with rage in his voice.

"You knew all about this! You knew his plan to enslave us all, like we where his pets! About how that blood contract would sell our souls to him, or whatever it did!"

"I wouldn't call it selling your soul to him, but I guess it is the closing thing, to call what happened." Cenanus said, with his usually calm voice.

Arkatic frustrated sighed, and looked down on the ground some seconds. He then looked up at Cenanus again, and said:

"I signed up for helping my clan. _My_ people. Not to be a slave to this….this _freak_."

"Welcome to the club." Cenanus said, with a little touch of anger in his voice. He then continued, with the same voice:

"And here's another tip for you. Go down, and train like the others. It will satisfy the lord. Which means less problems from him. And I guess that's what you want to happen. So now go, and if you get tired, some apes will bring you some green and blue gems."

Cenanus then turned around and walked away. Arkatic looked over the training ground.

 _Well, I don't have anything else to do_. _Or even a choice_. Arkatic thought, and walked over there.

He found and unused dummy along side the other ones. Some of the dummy's looked like apes, others like cheetahs. And some like dragons. Arkatic's was a ape. The first thing noticed, was that the dragons that were training, when they would use their elemental powers, it would have a dark inner. For example, if a fire dragon should use a fireball, the centre would be black.

 _That was what Shadow probably was talking about_. Arkatic thought, and looked back at his dummy. _Well, let's see how powerful this new makeover is_.

He started with a blizzard of small ice pellets, breathing them out like a flamethrower. The pellets were surrounded by cold, light blue air with a dark inner, that was following them. When they hit the dummy, they splintered into tiny pieces, flying everywhere near it. The force of the pellets pushed the dummy back, bending it.

Arkatic was surprised over how much more naturally this attack felt, not even getting tired after some seconds. He continued like this some more seconds, before stopping, making the dummy quickly fly back at place. He nearly couldn't feel any exhaustion like he usually would. He could also feel that the attack was more powerful as well.

 _Well, this got interesting_. Arkatic thought to himself.

Amazed with this new found power, he wanted to try something else. He then started to charge up a new attack. Air started to spiralling around Arkatic's mouth. Then snowflakes started to appear, also spiralling outside of Arkatc's mouth, a lump of ice started to appear. It grew bigger, and bigger, now getting a pointy end. Now something dark, started to follow the wind and snowflakes. It then sunk into the ice, forming inside the middle of it. When it was done, the final result was a ice spike, with a dark inner. He then got it on more charge before firing at the dummy. The force pushed him a little back. In under a second, the spike hit the dummy, to then explode into pieces leaving. Some of the pieces got over to Arkatic, that was standing some meters away, and some small ones hit him. Arkatic simply brushed them off, before moving towards some of the bigger pieces, near the dummy.

When he found the biggest one, he moved his face close to the ice lump, to inspect it. He was mostly inspecting the dark inner of the piece, than the ice itself. When inspecting it, he found and unpleasant discovery. It seemed like the dark inner was moving. Spreading around the ice lump, like a whole bunch of rivers. It was hypnotizing to look at, making Arkatic move his head closer. When his face nearly touched it, it then with a loud noise, got a big crack over it, out of nowhere. Arkatic stepped back a few steps, still with his face close to the ground. He slowly moved closer. But he didn't got close before getting interrupted by Fieres voice:

"What are you doing, having you snout in the dirt." Fieres asked, with a mocking tone, while going pass Arkatic.

Before Arkatic could do anything, Fieres was already gone. He then moved his head back up. He gave the ice lump one final stare, before looking at the dummy. Now that he was so close to the dummy, he decided to try some physical attacks.

He moved a few steps back before hopping forward. He then turned around in the air, swinging his tail. He then with a slash, hit the dummy with his tailspike. But to no effect. When he landed back at the ground, he again amazed this new power, Shadow's upgrade, had given him. He could feel how he had gotten more fast, more agile, and more stronger.

He then got and idea, that he would soon regret. He walked some meters back, before starting to run. He moved his head down, planning to head not the dummy. He was first impressed over how fast he had gotten, feeling like he was flying thru the air. A feeling he knew pretty good. And before he knew it, he hit the dummy. But, to his surprise, when he hit the dummy, a massive force pushed him backwards into the air. He soon hit the ground with a bump, making a barrel roll. He then came back up with a painful sigh. His head also started to painfully bumping, making him hold to his head.

 _Should have probably thought more about that._ He thought to himself.

When the pain had eased away, he started to look back at the dummy. He then moved his head to the side, making his neck make a crack sound. He then said with a 'ready for everything' voice.

"Alright, let's do this."

Him and the others then continued to train. Arkatic used several physical and elemental attacks. They continued the rest of the day, until darkness, showing the moon on the sky above the outdoors square. Arkatic had finally gotten completely exhausted, and so had the others. Him, Fieres, and some few others was the only ones that hadn't gone to their rooms.

Arkatic just stood and looked at the dummy he had slashed, hit, swinged, and fired at with all of his power. And _still_ there where not even a scratch on it.

When he had looked at it long enough he would say himself, he thought.

 _Better head back to my room. The bed seemed pretty comfortable when i woke up, after being unconscious_.

He turned around, and started to walk away. After walking some seconds, he heard somebody coming from behind him. When he turned around, he saw that it was the dragoness from the meeting. Even though she had the black scales as everyone else, he was still able to recognize her. When she came up to him, she asked him:

"Weren't you that dragon that stood up to Shadow, -"

Arkatic was just about to reply, with pride, thinking she was admiring him. He had his eyes closed and mouth open, ready to reply her question, when she continued with:

"- and then got completely made a fool of, by Shadow."

Arkatic stopped in his tracks, and opened his eyes in surprise. He then looked to his right side, looking slightly down. He then said embarrassed.

"Yeah, that's me."

Then there was a moment of silence, that Arkatic in the end broke with asking, turning his head back up to her:

"Who are you, exactly. Haven't seen you before the meeting, last night. Or, I think it was last night." He said the last part, with his head moved to his left, with a thoughtful look.

The dragoness then cleared her throat, and said:

"I'm Ici, The lead assassin of the Winter pillars clan."

 _A winter pillar. Well, she at least doesn't seem like a self proclaimed intellectual to me yet._ Arkatic thought to himself.

Arkatic then thought about the other part for a moment, before asking with doubt in his voice.

"Ain't the point of being an assassin, that people aren't supposed to know, that you're an assassin."

She had a little moment of thinking, before answering him.

"Well, in this new job we have apparently forgotten, we have to work together. Meaning we must know each other's strengths and weaknesses, blue boy."

Arkatic's expression turned into frustration.

 _Blue boy, BLUE BOY_! He thought to himself.

"I'll let you know, that I`m the clan leader of the Ice horns. You should show some respect." He said, with anger and seriousness in his voice.

She seemed like she was not surprised at all, by Arkatic's leader title. She then said, with a hint of insult in her words.

"I wonder how much Shadow cared about that title. Not much I guess." She then gave him a mocking smile.

Arkatic then rolled his eyes, and growled to himself. He then wanted to change the subject.

"Ici, can you tell me why that sound so familiar." He asked Ici, still with a little sound of frustration in his voice.

"As a clan leader, you must know the other clan leaders. Ica, he's my brother." She replied, with a touch of shame in her voice.

 _Ici, Ica. Well, that makes sense. But lousy naming I would rather call it_. Arkatic thought to himself.

Ici then looked down on the ground, and sighed. When she looked back up, she looked over the training grounds. She then said.

"As you probably know, Ica is not the most likeable dragon to know. Neither to grow up with, I can say myself. But, he at least seems to somewhat care about me. That must count for something, I guess."

She then looked back at Arkatic. She started to walk away. As she was walking past him, she said.

"Well, see you again sometime soon….Blue boy."

"Hey! What did I tell you about calling me that!" He said angry after her, but she just giggled to herself, and continued to keep walking.

He looked after her, as she was walking away. As much as he wanted to hate her, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He then as well started to walk.

Fieres now stopped training, panting from exhaustion.

 _Better get back to my room. I wonder if these beds are just as good, as the royal beds, back at Kharos_. He thought to himself, hoping that the beds is as comfortable as the ones he was used to, as he hated nothing more than a comfortable night's sleep.

He then started walking away, to his room, tired from all the training, hoping to sleep. As he was walking away from the training ground, he didn't notice a figure hiding in the shadows. The figure then stepped out into the moonlight, showing the blue and black scales, belonging to a creature. It was that ice dragon, that Fieres insultet. The dragon then started to take long, but silent steps towards Fieres, soon catching up to him.

Even when the dragon was behind him, Fieres didn't notice him. There were no other dragons left around the training grounds to warn him. The ice dragon then raised his tail, pointing his tailspike at Fieres.

 _This should make you learn, that you don't mess, with the Snow wolfs_. The dragon thought to himself, smiling an daunting smile. When the tailspike was high in the air, the dragon was just about to strike it down, when he stopped himself, when he felt something sharp to his throat.

It was Cenanus tailspike, that was pushed against his throat. The dragon was about to say something, when Cenanuns put a claw over his mouth, showing that they need to be silent. When Fieres came out of sight, Cenanuns removed his claw from his mouth, and whispered to the dragon.

"I know you want to, but you need to wait. Don't worry, you will have your chance. But not now, and not later. But one day, you will get to do it. It's your new lord's wish. And if you go against his wish, not even the ancestors will know what he will do to you, but I know one thing. It will be painful. So just play along. Okay."

Cenanus the removed his tailspike from the ice dragon's throat, who gave Cenanus a shocked and scared look, before running away, to his room.

Cenanus looked as the dragon ran away, and then up at the moon. He then said to himself.

"Well….This will be interesting."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter. Leave A review if you want to, I would be very happy for some feedback to this chapter. I would also like to know who is your favorite character in this story so far. In the next chapter, I will tell you which character won. Goodbye.**


	6. Chapter 6 New places

**Well….no favorite character opinions until now. Heh heh….guess that's pretty embarrassing. Now, enjoy!**

* * *

 _Chapter 6 New places_

"Why do we need to have these on?" Carla asked curious, looking up at Terrador.

Her, Ben and Jack went back into the big stone structure with the Guardians. Volteer had explained the structure to be a temple. Volteer had also told them that it is the home of him, Cyril and Terrador, and where meetings with them and the leaders of Warfang would hold meetings. Cyril the ice dragon had also returned, now standing with the other two Guardians.

Carla and her two friends had just been given some big green blankets, in one of the rooms behind the wooden doors they had passed through, when walking down the corridor after Jack.

"Because, the public won't be too happy about seeing more, of your kind." Terrador explained to Carla.

"Why's that?" Jack asked, after a mole had giving him his green blankets. He then followed the mole with his eyes out of the room.

The room wasn't anything special. It had some brown wooden shells, with pots. There were also a little bookshelf with a few books on the ground to the right end side of the rooms entrance. The room was only lighted up by a window on the wall in front of the entrance. It looked like one of those rooms in big mansions, that people just had without reason, but didn't want people to know that it was useless, so they would just put in some cheap, loussy decorations in.

Jack turned his head back to the dragons in front of him and his friends, when Cyril, the blue dragon, answered his question.

"Because rumors have started to spread about weird activity with the Dark army, and in the north. And with the sudden disappearance of one of the newest celebrities in Warfang, people will start to put two and two together." He then took one step closer to the humans, and straightened his back and neck raising upwards, nearly touching the ceiling with his two horns. He was looking bigger than before, the three friends thought to themselves. They were also thinking that it looked like a dark shadow had swept over Cyril's face, and tone of voice, as he said:

"Rumors like that, they spread like a wildfire. And before you know it, the wildfire had spread to half a city. And tell me, don't you agree with me that wildfires aren't exactly known to bring _pleasant_ things with it. Am I right?"

Both Jack, Carla and Ben started to slowly nod, feeling a little scared after Cyril's, explanation.

"Good. Now, would you three please take those blankets on?" Cyril said, now with a least intimidating tone of voice, and appearance.

The three of them quickly looked at each other, before starting to take the green blankets on. It was a very soft fabric, and not stiff at all. In one of the blankets there was a hole they could put their heads in. The rest of the blankets they put on as capes, covering their faces, so they could see out, but others couldn't see in. When they all had taken them on, Terrador nodded at them, before saying;

"That's it, we shall be able to move out, without getting followed by nosy eyes." He then turned around, and started to walk over to the door. So did Carla and Ben, but Jack stopped Terrador and them, when he said:

"Wait. Wouldn't three mysteries figures covered up by clothes, so you can't see them, and who are also escorted by, uh, what was it again, hm….Guardians! Yeah, the Guardians themselves, attract unwanted attention?"

Carla and Ben, who had turned their heads to Jack, when he started talking, turned back to the dragons, now with a curious look. The dragons also gave each other curious looks, until Terrador answered Jack's question;

"Well, that's makes sense to me. Okay, let me change my choice of words. The blankets will keep nosy eyes, from knowing what you _are._ "

He then turned around, and started walking towards the door again. This time he did this without any interruptions. When he got out, Carla, Ben and Jack followed him. And at last were Volteer and Cyril. But when they had all gotten out of the room, and walked a few steps, they were interrupted outside the room by somebody calling the green dragon's name:

"Terrador! Sir Terrador!"

Terrador in return let out a little sigh, before saying:

"Yes, Gallio?"

When this Gallio came into the sight of the three humans, they saw that it was mole. Instead of a gold plated armor as most of the moles they had seen, this one had a very fine brown coat, where there where a looking glass in a pocket. An as all the moles, he had a set of goggles.

"Terrador, it's good to see you…. oh, my terrible mistake, hello fair Guardians." Gallio said, and nodded to Cyril and Volteer behind the three friends and Terrador. When he did that he also noticed the three covered up figures in front of them. He took a look at them, before turning back to Terrador, like he had gotten snapped out of a dream. He then said to Terrador;

"Your presence is needed in the counsel hall. They have urgent matters to speak with you about, it seems."

Terrador in returned nodded to the mole, and looked over to the other two dragons.

"Would you two please show our new guests to their residential, and please stay there and look after them until i come back." He said to Cyril and Volteer.

"Where would that _residential_ be? I don't remember getting told that we would show our new _guests_ their own place?" Cyril asked Terrador. Terrador then got silent a moment, before saying in a sad and quiet tone:

"It's where we took _him_ to stay at."

Cyril emotionless nodded in return. Terrador then turned to the mole, and they both started to walk over to the entrance. When they had a big lead, Cyril and Volteer walked in front of the three of them, and Cyril said;

"Now, follow us. We will take you to a residence where you will stay, until further notice. Make sure your _disguise_ is covering your face, as I explained the importance of that earlier."

He then turned his head to the entrance and started walking. Carla, Jack and Ben started quickly following him, but still staying behind him.

"This will be a good chance for you three young ones to see our mighty city. A very intriguing sight no matter how many times you see it I can at least say for myself." Volteer said, after he had slowed down his waling, to reach the three of them behind him.

Carla nodded and said:

"It sounds very interesting this city."

"Believe me it is." Volteer said to her, as he slowed down even more, ending behind awry one.

When they reached the entrance, and left it behind, they could spot Terrador walking with the mole, who was long away from them, until they came out of sight.

They walked down some wide and long stairs, which where leading up to the temple. While walking down, Carla looked back at the temple, to see that it was a giant, high and wide tower, rising over all the others towers in the city. Except a high, but not as wide tower to Carla's right as she's looking at the temple.

They all were walking in a line, with Cyril in front, with Ben, Jack and Carla in the middle and Volteer at last.

When they reached the end of the stairs, it seemed they had reached some kinda pedestrian street, with different creatures walking around, probably doing their daily business. These creatures contained of moles and cheetahs both walking on hinds. There were also some dragons sometimes walking by.

As Jack had pointed out earlier, most of the creatures they walked by, or who walked by them, gave them weird looks. Looks with curiosity, questions, and fear. Some even started to silently talk to another creature, slowly spreading around the area. Carla could even hear some of the things they said, like:

"Why's the guardians walking with them?"

"Are they prisoners?"

"Are they dangerous?"

"What foul business is this now?"

Most different, but with the same meaning. But that wasn't the only think Carla noticed.

While walking around the pedestrian street, they saw shops, houses, restaurants. There where even places that could be this world's version of a cafe. They all had the same design. Sandstone square structure, some with flat roofs, others like the half of a ball. There were also a few shop stand set up on the street.

While walking, Jack started to turn his heads to Carla and Ben, and whispered to them. He said:

"Am I the only one, freaked out about us blindly following these _dragons._ I still feel weird about saying it, without hesitation." Ben then said to Jack with sarcasm:

"Well….why didn't you tell them what you think. I'm sure they would understand. But, come on. This is freaking awesome! Right Carla?" He then turned his head to Carla. She then answered him;:

"I must agree with you this time, it looks unbelievable. But that doesn't mean that it is necessarily awesome."

"What do you mean?" Ben asked her with a raised eyebrow. But it was Jack who answered him:

"I think she means, that we obviously aren't welcomed here." He then started to look around, spotting creatures giving them the weird looks. Carla and Ben also started following him with what he's doing. After a solid minute of them doing that, They stopped and Ben said:

"I see, but really. What reasons do they have to look like that at us."

"We must see it at theirs perspective." Carla said, and then afterwards explained to Ben:

"They see these important Guardians, escorting us, some mysteries hooded people, they haven't seen before, causley walking around. They are probably justscared. Or just curious." When she was done, Ben gave her one thoughtful look, before starting nodding and turning his head back.

"Yeah, that does make sense. Didn't think of that." Ben said, looking like he was daydreaming, with his head turned some degrees down to the ground. Then Jack asked him:

"Do you ever actually think?"

"Not what I know of." Ben answered cocky like back.

Jack gave Ben a tired silent look, before turning back to his front, which made Ben smile to himself under the hoodie.

"Are you three done chit chatting back there." Cyril said with a tired voice.

The three friends turned completely silent, looking at Cyril's neck in surprise.

"Did, you hear-" Carla started out, before getting interrupted by Cyril.

"Yes, I did hear all of your three's little chat. If you wanted it to be secret, maybe you shouldn't say it two meters away from someone." Cyril said, while still holding focus on the way they were going.

"I heard it to, or more listening to but that doesn't mean i was eavesdropping no that wouldn't my manners allow." Volteer added to the conversation.

"But, if you was listening to it, while knowing it was meant to be secret, how can that not be eavesdropping?" Ben asked Volteer, while looking behind to the yellow dragon. Volteer then had a moment of thinking, before saying:

"Hmm. Fair enough little one." Ben smiled to Volteer, before turning his head back.

Cyril then face palmed himself, before saying to himself:

"Like one wasn't enough."

"Maybe you shouldn't say something two meters away from someone, if you planned it to be to yourself." Jack sarcastic said to Cyril, who in return gave him one emotionless look, before looking back at the way they were going. Like Ben before, Jack smiled to himself, from getting the reaction he wanted.

After walking a bit more, they reached a open square space, surrounded by buildings. There where shops-meaning that it was probably a market area- setted up by mostly moles, but also by a few cheetahs and dragons. There were also a shop, probably a blacksmith one, selling weapons and armor, under supervising of a mole in a blacksmith clothing. Some of the armor seemed like it could fit a human, while others where giant plates with different forms. They were probably made for dragons. There were also spears, swords and axes, typical for weapons from a blacksmith.

You could see towers rise high in the sky around you, and dragons flying around, with their shadow swimming on the ground. There were lots of life in this place, creatures with different faces and colors walking around, chatting with other creatures, fascinating Carla quite a bit.

Volteer now walked faster, catching up with Carla, as she was looking around, from the ground to the sky.

"Would you consider this interesting." Volteer asked her.

"You can bet on that." Carla replied, while still looking around.

"Good to hear." Volteer said, also starting to look around. He then continued:

"You should probably know that a lot of effort have been put in to preserve this beauty of city back when Malefor still ravaged the world and even to this day."

He then stopped looking around and took his glans to the ground, with a sad look.

"Evil has that unneeded and annoying behavior of destroying all beauty in this fragile world wouldn't you say?" He said, taking his glans back up an at Carla.

She looked over to her right, but instead of looking around, thinking to herself. Thinking about all the times in her school, that themes of global warming and war, had been a subject in her class. Thinking about all the sadness in her world that were, and apparently in this one as well. She then finally answered, while still looking to her right:

"Tell me about it."

Volteer then said, with Carla turning her face to him.

"Such a shame, but at least evil haven't succeeded yet or this world and beautiful city would be nothing more than a dark twisted place, a former shadow of the world before it. I will now leave you for now." He then gave her a friendly smile, which she payed back. He then slowed down, again ending in the back of the little group.

They continued walking a while more, before reaching what seemed the end of the city, with the huge wall stopping houses to continue that way. It seemed like a very quit district of the city, with nearly not as many creatures walking around, as they had seen before.

They stopped, when they were in front of a lonely house, leaned up against the wall. It was fairly high, with three floors. There were two windows at each floor in the front. There where of course also a door in the middle of the front, looking like awry other door they had seen, with it's brown wood lined with gold.

Cyril stepped up to the door, and opened the door, which seemingly haven't been locked. He opened the door wide open, letting the light from outside shine in. He standed there some seconds, like he was waiting. He then leaned his head in the house, looking around the room before saying;

"Where lucky. No homeless citizens have taken residents here, until now. Hopefully."

He then walked in, and nodded to the three of them to go in. They followed his command, and soon they all stood inside what seemed like a living room. Voltter at last came in the room, where Cyril told him;

"Go up into the other floors, and check for creatures. We wouldn't want any unneeded _surprises._ "

Volteer let out a sigh, and looked up on the ceiling and said;

"Always me isn't it."

"Stop whining and go search." Cyril said Volteer, who against his will, walked up some stairs to the far right of the living room.

Carla then started inspecting her surroundings. In the middle there where four small couches surrounding a round table. On the left side there was probably something like a kitchen, but from the middle ages. Between the couches and kitchen there was a rectangle table, with four chairs at the two long sides. The walls was sand stone, and two windows at each side of the door. It looked very casual and nothing to special.

Volteer then came down from the stairs and said while going down them:

"Clear up there, no _surprises_ to be seen."

When he reach the end of the stairs, Cyril said to Carla, Ben and Jack.

"Now that's clear, I would advise you to look around, and find the room you think would satisfy you the most."

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 **Thank You for reading, and I will hopefully see you next time.** **Please leave a review, so i can improve my chapters. Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7 Dark discovery

**Thank you for the good feedback from the last chapter. Hope you will like this chapter!**

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 _Chapter 7 Dark discovery_

"EXPLORING TIME!" Ben yelled like a kid going to Disneyland, with his arms raised into the air.

Cyril gave Ben both a surprised and frustrated look. Jack just facepalmed himself, while Carla just looked surprised. She was trying her best to hold in a laughter. Ben, still with his arms above him, with a mouth open smile on his face, said to Cyril:

"Something wrong?"

Cyril in return looked at him, before saying:

"I should probably have told you that your and you're friends presence is needed to be kept secret from the public eye. So, would you please don't yell like you were trying to blow off the roof of this house!" He said the last part with a angry and much higher tone, than the rest of his words.

Ben then kept his position, but leaned backwards and took a long step back, away from Cyril. Cyril looked like he had no idea what to say, when Volteer suddenly started laughing. Cyril quickly turned his head to Volteer, who stopped laughing, and started to look around the living room, trying to look innocent. Then he turned his glans back to Ben, who had dropped his earlier position, and started to look around like Volteer.

Cyril looked down on the ground and sighed, like he was admitting loss in a battle.

"Hey!" Jack said to Cyril, who surprised looked at him. Jack then said:

"I feel with you."

"Me too." Carla said, looking towards Ben with a small smile on her face. Ben looked confused at her and said:

"What?"

Cyril looked at Carla and Jack, a little dumbfounded and with a lack of words. He then came up with something:

"Ehm...Thank you." He said. He knew that it wasn't his most proudest moment, but he couldn't find anything else to say in that situation.

Then he shaked his head quickly, and returned to his proud look and said with his usually proud tone of voice:

"Now, go up and try to find yourself a room, or something to distract you, while me and Volteer wait for Terrador to return. Then, you will be giving new instructions. Are we clear?"

Carla, Ben and Jack nodded to the blue dragon, and started walking over to the stairs. They were walking in a line, with Jack in front and Carla in the end. When they had gotten up to the next floor and out of sight for the two dragons, Volteer said:

"I`ll suggest we should find a subject to speak of while we wait for Terrador. We do after all need something to do and talking about various subjects seem like an appropriate thing to do. "

"You`re right. What if we speak about your inappropriate behavior around our 'prisoners'?" Cyril asked Volteer, with a curious but threatening voice.

Volteer looked at Cyril for a moment, with a little touch of fear in his look, before saying:

"Maybe except that subject."

When Carla came up to the second floor, right after Ben, she saw a hallway. It had a brown wooden floor, sandstone walls, and on the left and right side a set of two doors. The three of them stood in a line, looking down the hallway.

"I will go and see what's on the third floor." Jack said, and started walking away from the other two, down to the end of the hallway, where there were another staircase, leading up to the third floor.

"And I will be looking in the attic." Ben said, while looking at Carla, before speed walking the same direction as Jack. When they both got up to the third floor, Ben said something, that Carla couldn't hear. He then started laughing. The laugh died down after a few seconds. Carla then stood there, looking around the different doors before saying:

"Well….guess I will check this floor. Not like I've gotten any other choice."

She walked over to the first door on the right, opening it. She looked inside the room, still mostly outside of the door, finding it completely empty. She gave the room one disappointed look, before closing the door. The next door she opened, she found the same sight, of a room without anything in it.

"No big surprise here." She said to herself, with a tired tone of voice.

She closed the door, and walked over to the door, that was on the other side of the hallway, looking like the reflection of a mirror. She stood in front of the door some seconds, before saying:

"Now please….Surprise me!" Then she quickly opened the room to ironically, be surprised.

What she saw wasn't an empty room, but what seemed like a workshop and training place. The first thing that caught her eyes, was a full body size doll, that looked like a self sewed toy made by a parent, to then give it to their kid. It had the resembles of a humanoid ape, with its tail being a thick piece of rope. She then walked into the room, finding what seemed like a workbench on the far right. She walked over to the workbench to inspect it. On the wall that the workbench leaned on, had a light wooden plate, with small holes all over it, in a square pattern. There where small pieces of wood inside some of the holes, sticking out so you could hang tools on it. And that's how she found the plate, filled with different tools, from hammers to screw drivers. She took one of the screwdrivers off, taking it at it's wooden handle.

 _Fine work. It looks like it was made in my world._ She thought to herself. She then looked on the workbench, finding small screws on it, metal plates. And a helmet. Carla was surprised over discovering the helmet just now, and not when she first walked over to the workbench. She put the screwdriver back at it's place, to then look at the helmet. It was made out of a shining, clean metal, with decorations carved into the metal. On the front there were of course the hole for the face, with a line of metal going down the nose of the person that would wear it. It had two horns made out of the same metal, sticking up into the air. She nervously picked the helmet up, revealing two pieces of leather hanging from it. The leather looked like a belt, probably meaning to keep the helmet from falling off the person wearing it.

Carla looked some seconds at it, before putting it back down on the workbench. She looked over her shoulder, to the big doll behind her, with a curious look.

"Reminder to myself; rooms sometimes listen to you." She said to herself sarcastic.

She walked towards the doll, trying to find out what it was meant for. When she stood in front of the dummy she saw several sewed up cuts on it, looking like it had been slashed at with a knife. When inspecting the dummy, she got a glimpse from the floor, that caught her attention. She bowed down, finding several other cuts on the floor, revealing a much more fresher wood under a lair of worned off wood, like the skin over your flesh. She followed the cuts over to the wall at the left side of the room. When she looked up over the floor, to see if the cuts also was on the walls, she discovered two swords, leaning up at the wall. Again she was surprised, so much she nearly lost her balance. The sword to her left had, what seemed like a iron blade, with a dark wooden handle. The handle was wrapped around with a thin piece of rope, probably for a much more comfortable hold in the sword. The next one was much more special, with the same shining clean metal as the blade from the helmet at the workbench. She had concluded the metal to be silver, as it was the only thing she could think of when looking at the metal. The blade of the weapon was slim, but much longer than the other sword, with symbols and patterns on it. The handle was made out of a black metal, that Carla had no idea whatsoever what it was. The handle was also wrapped in a thin piece of rope. At the end of the handle there where a symbol of a dragon, and at the other end, where the blade starts, a red rubin.

She was tempted for a moment to take the rubin off the sword and keep it, but decided it was a bad idea, and that it would ruin the beautiful sword.

She then got an idea. She got up, and then took the sword on the right, at its handle with her left hand. She then took a good hold of the sword, and took it away from the wall, inspecting it again in the air. When she was done looking at it, she looked over at the dummy.

 _Let's dance._ She thought to herself, as she raised the sword over her head, and swung the sword in a clean line. She used her whole body as force, that leaded to her following the sword around, to then fall down on the ground. She took her hands out to block the fall, leading to a somewhat quit fall. She had her eyes closed for a little moment, before hearing a bump in front of her face. She then opened her, to see to her left the head of the dummy, with is ape face and button eyes, staring right into her face and eyes. She even imagined for a moment she could smell the ape's bad breath.

She was nearly about to scream in shock and surprise, but managed to take her right hand to her mouth, stopping the scream. Then she got up from the ground, and turned around to see her work. She saw where the head of the dummy once where, there was now nothing but air. She could also see how clean the cut was, with no strings from the fabric bristling around the cut. She now remembered that she nearly couldn't feel any force when she hit the dummy.

Shocked, she laid the sword down where she took it from. Then she walked to the dummy's head, picked it up and placed it where it used to be. She looked at the loose head for some seconds, before it comically falled down from its place. She followed the head with her yes, until it landed on the ground. She then sighed and turned around to the exit, and walked out of the room.

When she came out of the room, she closed the door behind her, and took a look on the last door, to her left.

She walked to the door and opened it, hoping it to be as interesting as the last room.

In the room the first thing she saw, was a bed. It had a blue sheet, with a white pillow. She walked closer to the bed, to find in the right side of the room, a desk with several shelves over it. The shelves contained various items, like plants, stones, crystals and handmade wooden figurines. The wooden figurines mostly looked like dragons, but other had different forms, from ape to cheetah to mole and so on. On the desk, and on the wall over it, there where papers, with some containing words, and others being drawings. The drawings looked like places, there were even some looking like they were meant to be places in Warfang. Others just looked like doodles. Some papers had words on them, but they were mostly unclear, and the ones she could read was babbling nonsense. But she did find one paper with a little verse on it, that was probably written by someone else than the owner of the other papers. The verse went like this:

 _Oh, the moon that shine_

 _Fills all creatures of the night_

 _with might and pride._

 _Flying over the crystal water_

 _That shine with stars_

 _that Make me go even further_

 _But nothing makes me go more_

 _Than your crystal eyes_

 _And your perfect smile_

 _That makes my life more than before_

 _By -you know who-_

Carla got a little smile on her face, showing that she liked it. She knew that there probably existed more beautiful verses, but this was the first one she really had felt emotional by.

She laid the paper down on the desk, and took a look over the other papers.

 _That verse is pure beauty compared to the rest of this mess._ She thought to herself, as she looked through the papers again. She then got an idea:

 _All these papers could probably be failed ideas or writing from a notebook. If I find the notebook, I could find out who lived here, or what all of this is. I just need to find the notebook-_

Her mind interrupted itself, when she turned around with a stack of papers in her hands, and found a convenient placed book on the bed. Carla stared at the book for some seconds, before slowly setting the papers back on the desk. Then she walked slowly over to the bed, with her eyes always keeping track of the book. When she stood at the bedside, with the book in front of her, she thought to herself:

 _If I miss another convenient or special thing, that have been in front of me the whole time, I`m going straight to bed. Dragons or not._

She then picked the book up, that had a leather overlay. She looked at the book a moment more, before deciding that it would be a good idea to read it on the floor, in front of the bed. She didn't even know why, she just thought it was a good idea.

She sat down on the wooden floor, with the desk in front of her, and the bed in the back. She leaned backwards, getting in a comfortably position, before opening the book.

On the first page, there stood:

 _Diary of: Toby_

She turned the page:

 _Day 1_

 _Hello future me! If you can remember, we are screwed! Completely. We are trapped in a fantasy world, ruled by dragons. I first remember laying in a forest, with a giant headache. I walked around a bit, probably while panicking. Then, I found that giant wall, with freakin dragons flying around over it! I then choose to walk around the wall, to then later being chased by moles! Giant moles! In gold armor! When they captured me, they took me into the city, where dragons, moles and giant cheetahs walked around in there. All of this seemed familiar, but I don't know how. I got taken to some dragons, calling themselves Guardians. And again, all of this seem so familiar. But I can't put my finger on it. They put me in a lonely house in the city, where they told me to stay. I'll stop for now, and continue tomorrow. If I can survive so long, that is._

 _Toby. Isn't that the name of the kid the Guardians was talking about?_ Carla thought to herself. She then curious and anxiously turned to the next page in the diary.

 _Day 2_

 _I can't believe it! I figured it out! This, is the world of The legend of Spyro games! I have just realised it, after been giving a tour of Warfang, A city from the games. Oh, I loved those games when I was a boy, played them all. That, I probably knew myself, but, I don't care. They told me that they have just gotten over a massive war, probably the one with Malefor._ _I need to ask them later about if Spyro and Cynder survived. See you later! Me._

Carla turned to the next page again.

 _Day 5_

 _Sorry for not writing to myself more often, however crazy that sounds. Day 3 here I got to talk to the Warfang council, where they would choose my fate. As myself might think, no, I didn't get sentenced to death. Actually, that wanted to keep me. To study me, or something. Day 4 nothing really important happen. Just slacking off in the_ house I got send to. _Which is, now officially mine. Oh, this is life. Another thing, I freakin met Spyro and Cynder this day! I must confess, I tried to look as professional as possible. But, if I know myself good enough, I broke. Kinda embarrassing now that I think of it. But, I need to stop. See you later me!_

Carla had also gotten to the conclusion that this is the world of The legend of Spyro. She didn't own the games herself, but Ben had, and had said he had played all of them. Probably why he was not scared, when they stood over for the dragons. Or, he was just being himself. She turned the next page.

 _Day 14_

 _Alright, for anybody that isn't me._

 _GO AWAY!_

 _So, I met this dragoness. Her name is Arhi. And, we have become friends, and, I really like her and….Arh! Screw it! Me, myself, we both know where this is going. And I know, that I`m human and she's a dragon. But, and this is a big BUT. I think it could work. After all, I'm stranded here! Got nothing better to do!_

Carla gave the book, a weird look, as she would if she had seen the person that wrote this.

"...That's pretty disturbing. Cute, but disturbing." She said to herself, before hesitantly turning the next page.

 _Day 27_

 _Everything is great, everything is great. New life is great, my new life is….GREEEEEAAAAAAAAT! Don't know why, but I just wanted to write this._

Carla let out a little giggles. She then turned to the next page, again.

 _Day 34_

 _Why am I doing this. Oh yeah, because the human being needs to learn from experience, as well as failures. No matter the mistake or experience, and so with the philosophical crap. Let me just get to it. I´m doing this to remember something. Why? I explained earlier. Warfang was attacked today, by the remnants of the Dark army. Under the battle, I ran around the city, hoping to keep myself alive. I then saw an ape, attacking a little, tiny, dragon kid. I hesitated, but in the end, I took the nearest weapon, attacked the ape like an animal. And killed it. But I was to late. The dragon was dead. I sat on my knees, under the rest of the battle, as the coward I am. After that, I decided to join the Warfang scout team, to find remnants of the Dark army. And then watch them get slaughtered. I know how psychopathic I might sound, and I know and don't care. The end._

Carla looked shocked at the book, caught by genuine surprise. She didn't want to continue, but it was like she was controlled. Controlled by something that wanted her to suffer by keep reading what seemed like a innocent diary, to a dark and depressing page, slowly turned.

 _Day 56_

 _Again, I don't know why I do this. Guess it's an old habit. Today I found a weird crystal in a cave, near Warfang, under one of my scout searches around the city. I turned back to Warfang, and reported my findings directly to the Guardians. They came to the conclusion that it was dark magic and therefore was needed to be destroyed. I volunteered to destroy it. Later I got noticed by a mole, that they chosen to send me, now that I volunteered. I don't know why I did it. I just wanted to see that thing again._

Again, Carla didn't want to read what happen, but she felt like she was forced to. As she turned the page, she could feel a strong wind around her, and something moving. But she was to caught up in the diary to see what it was.

 _Day 57_

 _ScREams noTHinG bUT sCREAms iN A giAnT WEll of aGony aNd pAIn thEy calL to mE witH ScreAms of A tHousANds soULs theY'rE All aRoUnd uS theY arE us And wE are tHEm ScreAmS in THe shAdows of minD and sOul nOThing but sCReamS In A endLesS diVIde oF paIN_

Carla was shivering with fear, as her eyes looked down the four lines, filled with what can only be described as pure madness. She then felt like she was going mad, as her arm and hand slowly and shakingly reached over to the next page. Carla was trying to hold back the urge to beg out loud to herself to stop, as she wanted nothing more than to burn the book, like a witch getting burned. But, she couldn't stop herself. She saw with fear in her eyes, as the page turned.

 _Day 99999999999999999_

 _Hello….Carla._

She was nearly about to scream, but she managed to take her hand over her mouth. She then threw the book over to the other side of the room. Carla looked at the book, while breathing heavenly. She then looked around, realizing that a bunch of papers had formed a circle around her. It was the drawings from the desk, that before seemed like doodles, now looked like what was written in the diary. Voices, screaming in a well of pain. Carla got up from the floor, while shaking, to then slowly walk towards the door, and closed it behind her.

Down stairs, she could her familiar voices, that belonged to the Guardians. Carla decided to walk down to them. When she was close enough, she could her what they where talking about.

"That was a rather short meeting." Cyril said.

"Indeed it was." Terrador replied to Cyril. Volteer then asked:

"If I remember right the council wanted to have information about the humans when they woke, so I can guess they sent after you to have that information. And if I'm correct in my speculation I would also like to know what they have decided to do with our 'guests'?" It was then Terrador that replied with:

"Your right again my friend. And, they have come to the conclusion, that they want to 'observe' them, like before. But this time, they said we needed to keep a closer look on them."

"Sounds responsibly." Cyril said.

When Carla came to the end of the steps, the dragons noticed her. Cyril first looked surprised, but then shook it off.

"How much did you hear?" He asked Carla.

"I don't know. The end of your conversation, I assume. You did stop it when I came, didn't you?" Carla answered.

Terrador then walked over to her. He stopped and looked like he was about to say something, but didn't. Instead he looked curiously at Carla, observing her. Carla scratched her left arm, feeling uncomfortable. Terrador then asked, with a sympathizing and serious voice:

"Are you alright, little one?"

"Yea-yeah, sure. I….I, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Carla said, with a nervous voice and look.

Terrador looked at her with silence for some seconds, before saying with his normal tone of voice:

"The council, as you might have heard, have decided to keep you here, under our protection. But we can't always be here, so keep yourselves in this house, until we say otherwise. Gallio have requested to personally bring you food and water. Which we have granted."

Gallio then appeared behind of Volteer and Cyril, with a basket with bread, fruit, vegetables and a leather sack, probably filled with water. He then placed it at the table in the living room.

"Goodbye! See you tomorrow." Gallio said, before walking to the door, closing behind him. The door then slammed open, revealing Gallio. He then said:

"Sorry, sorry. I forgot to give you this." He then threw a key over to Carla. She quickly grabbed it. Gallio then closed the door again. Carla looked curiously at the key, rolling it around in her hand, before asking Terrador:

"Why the key?"

"Just in chase." He replied. He then said:

"Now, we need to go. We will come back when the sun is over the wall. We have planned something for you three tomorrow."

The three guardians then left the house, leaving Carla alone in the living room. She looked down on the key in her hand, to then close it. She smiled, and walked up to the second floor.

When the Guardians has walked a little while, Cyril asked Terrador, while keeping eye contact with the road, and with a cold voice:

"She was in _his_ room, wasn't she."

* * *

In a dark blue void, filled with nothing but emptiness, sat Shadow on the ground, in a meditating way. He then quickly opened his white eyes, looking into the void, with a tired expression. Then, a dark fog started to surround him. The fog then formed into individual small fog's, with bright white eyes. They circled around him, before saying with a voice, sounding like several other voices, speaking at the same time:

" _So….It is true! The ancestors have sent more of your kind here. But for what?"_

" _To do something they will never achieve."_ Shadow said, with a serious tone, like a apprentice answering his master's question.

" _Maybe, but that doesn't change that they will become a horn in our side_. _We expect you to take care of the task at hand._ "The creatures said.

" _Oh, don't worry. When I'm done, they will be nothing more, than a shadow of themselves_." Shadow said to them. Then they started to laugh, with a sick laughter. Shadow smiled to himself, before getting up back at his feet. The dark blue void, then turned into a small, circle formed room, that was completely empty. Shadow turned around to a door behind him. He walked out of the room, to a small hallway, to another door. At the other side of the door, two apes with silver plated armor with spears were guarding the entrance to the small room. Shadow walked out of the second door, to a bigger hallway, split in to ways. To the right, and straight. Shadow choose the straight way, saying while walking:

"Somebody get Cenanus for me! I have, urgent matters to speak with him."

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 **My thanks for reading this chapter, hope you enjoyed it! Leave a review if you find any misspelling in the chapter, or just to tell me what you think of this chapter and story. See you later! Hopefully.**


	8. Chapter 8 New people

**Hello again, dear readers. Here's a new humble chapter for you to read. Hope you will enjoy it.**

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 _Chapter 8 New people_

"Get Up! They will be here soon." Jack said, pushing Ben out of his bed, and he landed on the wooden floor.

Carla was very tired, rubbing her eyes, as Ben was starting to realize where he was. Meanwhile, Carla looked around Ben's, peculiar living space.

He had chosen to sleep in the attic, and was probably going to make it his room. The attic was surprisingly empty, with only a very few number of furniture. There where to round windows with a wooden cross on it. Each window was on the two sides. One was on the front of the building, so you could see the streets below them, with busy, but few creatures walking around, starting to do their daily business. The other window was on the opposite side, so you could see the beautiful, inspiring view, of a giant wall. It was there Ben had chosen to place a bed, the one would sleep in. Or, would be sleeping in. The light from above the wall, was exactly shining down on the pillow of the bed. Carla was surprised, when she just came in with Jack to wake Ben, seeing the light shining down on Ben's open mouth and snoring face.

A strange thing she noticed, while looking around, was cuts on the floor. Cuts, just like the ones in the training room.

And just like that, she was transported back into the moment, when she was reading the pages from the diary. A memory, burned into her mind. A haunting, fearfull memory. Carla closed her eyes, like she was hoping the memory would go dark, as the world, when you close your eyes.

 _Stop it! It….it was just a creepy book, nothing special._ She thought to herself.

 _Oh, wasn't it? Then how would the person writing it know your name._ _And notice where you are! A fantasy world from a game, for god's sake._ She thought, like her mind was attacking her own believes.

She then opened her eyes, to be send back to the attic, with Ben slowly getting up with the help of his arms. While he was doing that, he saidwith a sarcastic tone:

"Oh, oh I get it. We are in a game, currently hiding from hundreds, maybe thousands of mythical creatures, that consists of dragons, and giant moles and cat people. And we should maybe consider our situation and maybe our own sanity, but no! Let's just wake Ben from a beautiful sleep and dream."

Both Jack and Carla looked at Ben with a tired look, as he raised up from the ground. Jack then said:

"Come on. They will be here soon. And I would like some breakfast, before they come and drag us to another place."

He then turned around, walking towards the stairs leading down.

Carla yawned, stretching her arms up in the air, before saying:

"Me too."

She then also walked towards the stairs, with Ben following her, while rubbing his eyes.

There were some bread and juice left from the basket Gallio gave them. Then they found the plates they used the night before, putting them on the table, at each of their chosen seat. They split the bread among themselves, quickly eating away, not knowing what the day would hold. And also so they wouldn't be picked up by the dragons while eating.

The bread Carla ate tasted a little different from what she was used to. Not too much, but enough to taste a difference. It was when she tasted the juice she got surprised. It tasted much more raw, both in taste and in quality. It was made out of orange, she believed, as it tasted like that. But, when you are in a fantasy world, you gonna have to consider some options.

Carla thought mildly about that this juice, she was drinkin just now, was the most thought she had ever given any kind of juice she had ever tasted. Or even any beverage. One of the small things in life you think about, and they say 'huh' to yourself.

They continued eating, without to much talk, besides the now and then small talk. And when Ben had slurped the last of his juice, they heard someone banging on the door. Carla and Ben raised from the table and started to walk towards the door to answer it. But in their tracks Jack stopped them and wispered:

"Heh!"

They looked over, seeing Jack standing besides the table, with a finger up to his mouth. He then slowly with long steps, started to walk to the window to the left of the door. Carla and Ben looked at him, with Ben a curious look, and Carla a tired one. When Jack reached the window, he slowly moved the curtins away, making a little space to see out on the street. It must have been the dragons he saw, as he nodded to himself, and looked over to Carla and Ben.

"All clear." He said.

Carla looked at him with her tired look and said;

"Really. Was that necessary?"

Jack in response lifted his shoulders up and down, and walked over to the door, with Carla rolling her eyes, to then also walk towards the door with Ben.

Jack was the first to reach the door, with Carla and Ben at last. He opened the door, to see, as Carla thought, the three dragons Volteer, Cyril and Terrador. They were standing the exact time they told them they would. 'We will come back when the sun is over the wall', they had said, and as Carla had been told, here they are.

Volteer was standing with his face, which was telling that he knew many things, and wanted to tell them all. Cyril, with his proud and mighty look, showing someone who goes up in his work, and fulfills it with precision. And Terrador, a big, serious, stern looking fellow, a real soldier, but with a kindness in his heart, that tyrants and dictators would call, _inappropriate_.

"Good to see you all up and in good shape. We have a busy day ahead of us." Terrador said, with a optimistic tone. Something usually seen in the yellow dragon.

"And what would _busy,_ mean in your context. If I may ask." Jack asked, with his normal paranoid tone when asking the dragons literally anything, which Carla only had thought about while trying to sleep. You know, like when you remember you have homework due to the next day, and you are lying in your bed, 1 PM at night. And it is that moment when you think to yourself, shi….. Maybe I shouldn't fully write this down.

"That, you will see when we can start going, if you have eaten, and still have the green rags we gave you. Which you hopefully haven't thrown away, or used as curtains, or for the Ancestors sake not used as towels!" Cyril replied to Jack, while walking closer to the three friends.

Carla looked confused at Cyril, before saying, with of course a confused voice:

"Do we even have something we need towels for? Like, do we have a shower?"

"Yes, we actually do." Jack told Carla. She then turned her head surprised to Jack and said:

"We do?"

"Yeah, it's on the third floor, the last room to the right. And to the left a toilet." He replied, camly.

Carla looked dumbfounded at him.

"How can it be you haven't told me!" She said, with a touch of blaming in her voice.

Jack just shuck his shoulders again as response. Which Carla looked at him tired in response, while saying.

"It's shucking your shoulders the only answer you can give this day or what."

"Well, it's only been two times this day." He said, rushing her remark off.

She turned to the dragons again, with Cyril about to say something, when Ben interrupted him;

"AND! Why was your first ideas of what we have done with the rags, either us throwing it away, or using it as….towels. How pathetic, ignorant and stupid do you think we are?!"

Cyril in return gave him a cold look, that could freeze a volcano.

"Ohh….The _look_ , which works as a cold answer, yeah, I have used it as comedic effect many times before heh, heh…." Ben said with a nervous tone, which only got worse, as Cyril just kept staring at him.

"Yeah, I'll shut up." Ben said, like a whisper.

Cyril then snorted at him, and looked over Jack and Carla. He then said, with a bitter tone:

"Now, would you _please_ , go and get those rags so we can get moving."

Carla, Ben and Jack nodded to Cyril, before quickly heading back into the house, searching for the rags, which they had thrown somewhere in the house.

Carla found hers in her room, even through see was sure she just threw it somewhere hard to find. Somewhere she wouldn't think it would be. Maybe that's why she found it in her room. Ben found his in the living room. Jack's was in the restroom, which she had only just learned about. After taking the rags on, she walked back down to the door, where the dragons was waiting for them. Ben was already standing there, with Jack coming after Carla. When they were all standing, done with tidying there rags fittingly, so you couldn't see who they where, Terrador nodded to himself, before saying:

"Good, good. Now we can begin our little _tour_."

He then turned around, walking towards the road, with Cyril at his side. Carla, Jack and Ben looked confused at each other, to then speedrun, trying to catch up with the two dragons. Volteer also started walking, but with him being twice the size of the three humans, he only needed to walk at his normal speed to follow the three friends.

"What do you mean by a _tour?_ " Carla asked the two dragons ahead of her and the others. Her question turn into a shout, as she was trying to communicate with them.

"You'll see little one. I have been planning all this since we found you and I can tell you that if you liked how the city looked on our little _escort_ yesterday you will love this! We are going to see the most exotic places in Warfang! I have even planned a pleasant surprise to end it with. A surprise I think you would appreciate." Volteer said to Carla, with a energy full voice, which Carla have gotten used to. But she still needed to think about what the yellow dragon had said for a few seconds, before she could understand it. When she had figured out what he had said, Ben asked Volteer;

"What kinda surprise to be more exact?"

Volteer turned his head to Ben and answered him with;

"Well it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you. I`m pretty sure your kind knows the meaning of a surprise, ain't I right?"

"Yeah, you're right, it just, can you just tell me what kind of surprise it is. A gift, meeting someone, or seeing something fenomenal." Ben answered Volteer. It was then Jack's turn to ask something:

"Ben, can't you just stop talking for a minute or two, just for today. So we can make this day more special than it`s already going to be?"

"You know, it's getting pretty generic of you to keep telling me to shut up." Ben answered back to Jack, who in return looked angry at him, and then said:

"Well if I don't do it - who will? Besides, you're the one that is generic, with how you always joke around and what not. That's _your_ personality in a nutshell."

"Okay, but your personality isn't any better. How you are that generic rock singer, that likes rock music. That's pretty generic to me." Ben said to Jack, with a touch of annoyance in his voice. Jack looked more angry at Ben, now trying to find the right words, finally finding something he could;

"O-oh yeah!-"

Ben and Jack continued arguing, while Volteer looked worried at them. He then turned to Carla and asked:

"Do they always have this tendency to argue with each other for not so important reasons, other that it will make the other more frustrated?"

Carla thought to herself for a moment, before answering:

"Yeah, pretty much. You gotta need to get used to it."

Volteer in return slowly nodded to her, before looking back at the two arguing friends, and then back at the path they were walking.

Cyril and Terrador had stopped walking, at a much more busy street than the one before. When the little group behind caught up with them, they turned right at the road, which either led straight or as said right. While walking, Terrador could feel the starring eyes of the inhabitants of Warfang. Stares of confusion and curiosity, burning into their necks.

Carla could also feel the unnerving stare of the creatures around them. But she had gotten used to them, somewhat. They were better than the stares of hate and despise at her school at home. She wondered if anyone had noticed that they where gone. Or even care. She tried her best to get something out of this uncomfortable walk, by looking around the scenery of the city. She was surprised to find it a rather pleasant distraction. The shops where starting to open, people beginning their daily work. She also looked sometimes up at the wall, seeing a small amount of towers rising up from the wall, and patrolling guards now and then.

They walked a while, passing by the Temple, with it's high tower rising over the city. They then later got to a large, round building, with the shape of half a ball as the roof. The dragons told them that it was there the city council were living, and attending to problems of the city, that didn't involve the Guardians. As at the temple, there where a wide and long staircase, leading up to the entrance, with what looked like hundreds of creatures walking out and in, by the entrance.

"The council hall it's located in the center of the city, and was the first building build by the moles to the dragons as a gift. The city then build around it, to then end as the city that never falls." Terrador explained to the three friends. They were standing in the middle of the staircase, with suspicious and curios stares looking at them, as the many moles, dragons and cheetahs were walking out and in the huge building.

"The council hall it's also meant as a safe place to refugees after a siege or a safe place _under_ a siege. With it being to big than needed and can house hundreds or thousands of beings and it's literally _central_ location made it the best place to seek refuge under battles and sieges." Volteer told them, which gave Carla a idea to a question.

She looked curios up at Volteer and asked, with a serious, but small touch of innocent curiosity tone in her voice:

"How often _do_ this…. city get attacked?"

Volteer looked at her without really knowing what to say. When he seemed to find something to say, Cyril interrupted him:

"It was mostly after Malefor had betrayed us, and formed his own army out of mercenary apes and his own orcs, that the attacks were something to fear at a daily basis. When he was brought back by his most trusted and high ranking general, and his right hand, Ghaul, the attacks were worse than before. We lost more and more casualties at each battle, and one day without being attacked seemed to relieve the civilians as much as if the war had ended. People were scared of letting children go outside, and even more for themselves. It was a terrible time, and we lost more and more hope, as a furnace running on coal. And as a normal furnace would go out if it weren't feeded enough coal, so would happen to us. But then came Spyro, who sparked hope into everyone, from soldier to civilian alike. And with that hope and Spyro's powers, Malefor got defeated once and for all. If Spyro hadn't had come, we maybe wouldn't have lasted a month, or even a week longer. After Malefors defeat, the attacks was lesser than ever before, with only some mindless orcs or undead apes, with the only thing still in their mind, being Malefor's order to take Warfang. But lately, there have not been any attack, or any sign of a future attack. So, no. We don't get attacked so often. Not anymore. I hope that explanation pleased your curiosity."

Carla, Ben and Jack stared at Cyril, with wide eyes, and shut mouths, under the hood. The surprise of getting told that little story, was nearly painted on their faces.

"I think a simple _no_ , would have been fine." Terrador told Cyril, with a calm tone, looking at the three humans.

"It was either me, or Volteer. And if it were him, then we would still be standing here, after the end of the world, listening to him talking about every stone brick destroyed after every siege." Cyril replied to Terrador.

Volteer snorted as his reply to Cyril, who just gave him a tired look. They then continued their little trip around the city. After some time, they came to a peculiar place. It was a building, with sounds of a fight, or rather several fights, coming out of the center of the building. It was a square building, and very wide. The entrance had at least five ways to get in, with each divided by astone pillar. And as at the other places they had been showed, there was a staircase, leading up to the entrance.

 _Is this some kinda hidden connection or something?_ Carla thought to herself.

Hightowers rose from the roof, with long sticks, sticking out of them. On most of these sticks were round wooden plates, with red and white circles in it, and a red spot in the middle. On some other sticks that was on the towers, were there only destroyed and burned remnants of what once was a target. There were even now some dragons shooting ice, fire, rock and lighting at the them. The dragons that was probably doing target practising, was smaller than the three dragons following them, and most of the other ones they had seen. Flying around the towers, was a few bigger dragons, probably adults, shouting at the smaller ones, firing at the targets.

It then clicked for Carla.

 _This is a school. A dragon school!_ She thought to herself.

"This is the Elite warden academy! A place for young dragons to train, and study, to become a part of the Elite warden." Terrador explained, proving Carla right in her thoughts.

Jack looked at Terrador, and asked him:

"What is the _Elite warden_?"

Volteer, who was behind them cleared his throat, making Jack look over to him.

"The Elite warden is a group of highly skilled and powerful dragons meant to protect Warfang and help settlements near Warfang if they are needed. They were first assembled with the duty of hunting down the remnants of the Dark army but as said was later assigned to protect Warfang and its allies." He said, like he had been preparing the speech all day.

"But that's not why we are here." Terrador said, getting Carla, Ben and Jack's attention. Terrador then continued:

"We are here to show you three something. More specific, something inside this _school_. Shall we go?"

Him, Cyril and Volteer started walking towards the entrance.

"Wait, so we are just going to go in there- oh, okay guess we are!" Ben said, as the three dragons where getting some distance from them. They then, while startled, ran over to the dragons.

They looked around nervously, as weird looks were coming their way. They had of course gotten the same looks, when walking around in the streets, but here they were walking in narrow hallways, making the three of them uncomfortable close to the beings giving them the weird looks. And they didn't exactly have good memories from schools.

After they had walked a few seconds inside the building, Jack asked the three dragons, with a whispering tone:

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course! We guardians are well known and respected here." Terrador answered him, while looking back at Jack, before looking back at the way they were walking.

"It wasn't exactly _you_ three I was worrying about." Jack said.

Cyril then snorted at him and said:

"Don't be so paranoid! These young ones here are not completely stupid. They know that they shouldn't mess with anybody together with the Guardians. But they will probably try nibbling at your rags, your hair, your flesh…."

"What!" Carla said startled, as while Cyril had said that, she saw a dragon showing their teeth off for another dragon. And she could tell you, that they were quite big.

Cyril then started to silently giggle. After a few seconds it turned into a loud laughter, which got more weird looks from other dragons. Jack, Ben and Carla stared at him, with genuine surprise on their face.

"You haven't said a single joke since we first met you. And this is the first joke you choose to tell us?" Jack asked Cyril, who's laughter slowly died down. Carla then said;

"It was somehow worse than any of Ben's jokes."

"Hey!" Ben said.

"That's Jacks job to say such lies like that." He continued.

"Well, why not. Nothing better to do with Ben anyway" Jack said, with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. But only a little bit.

Ben in return this time just snorted.

Cyril who had stopped laughing, now said with a unnerving cold tone in his voice:

"But in all seriousness. It would be best if you kept your distance."

Carla waited for a much hoped for laughter from the ironically ice cold dragon. But nothing more came out of his mouth.

They kept walking down the narrow corridors, filled with young dragons. At last, they reached their destination. It was a courtyard, filled wit training dragons. Some slashing, hitting, flying and firing. The walls surrounding the big square yard was filled with symbols, statues and paintings carved into the sand colored stone. They stepped out of the entrance they came from. There where a entrance at each side. The dragons they were following walked a few meters closer to the training dragons. Carla looked up while walking over to them. As she saw from outside the building, there were high but slim towers rising into the sky, over the walls around the training yard. And there were still dragons flying around the towers, some in curtain manners, others flew like they wanted. Some probably doing target practice, others learning curtain ways to fly. And at each tower, there where a adult dragon yelling at the younger ones.

When Carla looked back down on the others, she noticed that the three Guardians where looking at one dragon exclusively. It was a red dragon, probably a fire one, fighting with another dragon, a green one.

The green one had pointy dark brown spikes sticking up from the back, to the tail and the neck. The scales where a swamp like green, mushy in the color, with a dirt brown belly. The horns had the color of a dark brown, and was sticking backwards, and looking like bigger versions of the ones on the back. Carla had a hard time seeing the color of his eyes. Or, she thought it was a guy. But she could guess that they were green. The tailspike was the shape of a dark brown boulder, with spikes on it.

The fire one, which she knew was a fire dragon as it was firing fire, had rectangle black spikes on the back, to the neck and tail. The scales where a dark red, with a nearly human skin color on the belly. A line of a dark color was on the back, and reached to the neck and tail like the spikes. The line also went down the four legs. Or two legs and two arms? Carla was really confused about that part. The horns where curled, with a black color. The tailspike was black and had the shape of a very short, curved sword. She could see that his eyes where the color of a shining ruby. And again. she don't know if it is a girl or boy. Until now she have just relied on the voices. But there she could also be wrong.

"That one, I have chosen." Terrador said, as he pointed at the red dragon.

Carla was confused what he meant, so she asked him:

"Chosen for what?"

"Chosen as the future Guardian of fire." Terrador said calmly.

Carla then chose to see how the fight would turn out.

The red one was shooting fire balls, as big as his head. He fired in a line, following the green dragon, who was running around the red dragon. The red dragon then quickly turned the stream of fire balls ahead of the green one. But he jumped backwards, to then run, with his head low to the ground, planning to hit the red dragon with his horns. The fire dragon quickly realized what his opponent was going to do, and stopped firing and dodged to the right. He did it at the last second, as the green passed him, but quickly stopped. He then jumped into the air, swinging his tail in a circle. It seemed the red dragon had nowhere to run, but he bravely, or stupidly, jumped towards the green one. He managed to get under him, but still needed to use his wing as a shield, as the tail swinged at him. He got slammed into the dirt to his right, landing with a bump. He quickly got up, probably glad for getting away with a less powerful hit. He then rushed over to the green dragon, who had just landed back on the ground. The red dragon was planning on hitting him with his horns, as the green dragon had tried earlier. But the green dragon quickly got to his left side, using his tail as a way to overthrow the red one. It worked, as he didn't have time to stop, and fell over the tail, and landed on the ground again. When he got up again, he got smashed in the face by the green dragon, and flew a few meters away. He landed on the ground hard, and rolled a few times, before laying still in the dirt. He opened his eyes and moved his head up a bit, before it felt to the ground again.

"Hm, hm, hm." The green dragon said, as he slowly walked over to the red dragon, who was grunting in pain.

"Have you got enough, Slavier? Or do I need to smash another loose screw back into your head?" He said, with a self praising smile on his face.

Slavier laid still on the ground, as the green dragon walked closer and closer. When suddenly, Slavier used his wing, he had quickly placed on the green dragons face, like a slap, and his hind legs and tail, to jump over the green dragon. He made a barrel roll, over the green dragon, and landed at his side. He then hit the dragon in the face with the flat side of his tailspike, staggering the green dragon. And without hesitation, he jumped into the green dragon with his horns first, hitting him the side. He fell on the ground, and before he could get up, Slavier had jumped again, this time landing on him. He then placed his paw hard on the green dragons face, making him grunt in pain. Slavier stood on the dragon a few seconds, until he could feel the greens dragons body getting less tense, showing that the dragon was giving up.

"Have you got enough, Grasar? Or do I need to fill your face with dirt again?" He said, with a mocking voice, and self praising smile, as Grasar had done before.

Grasar snorted, seemingly meaning defeat. Slavier then jumped off Grasar, still keeping the mocking smile on his face.

"Well….they all got their talents, don't they." Terrador said, with a odd tone in his voice.

"Hm. He lacks in keeping sight of his surroundings. If he had seen us, he would surely had made a mocking comment on it to his opponent." Cyril said.

Terrador was about to say something, probably regarding Cyril's comment, but chose not to. Cyril looked around the yard, probably looking for something. Or to be more specific, someone. He then stopped looking around, and lighted up his expression.

"See, that is _my_ chosen future Guardian of ice." Nodding over to a fight happening far away from the one before.

It was between a blue dragon and a yellow dragon. A ice and lighting dragon, probably. Carla was speculating if the ice dragon was a female, as it had a much slimmer and feminine body than the other dragons. But again, she don't have any idea how things work in this world, and even less when it comes to gender.

They were long away, so Carla couldn't see the exact features of the dragons, but she could see that the blue one had light blue scales.

The moment Carla had looked over to the fight, she saw the yellow dragon flying in the air, before landing hard on the ground. After that, she could also hear dragons around her cheering over the blue dragons victory.

"Ah, yes. Irirel." Terrador said, as he looked at how Irirel was getting ready to fight another opponent.

Carla tried if she could find out the gender with help of the name, but decided it probably wouldn't help.

"The two of them are truly remarkable. The best in the whole school from the very first day to this very day." Volteer said, looking over from Irirel to Slavier.

"You're right my friend. They have showed to have the best combat experience and have beat every opponent given to them, and-" Cyril was saying, with closed eyes, until he got interrupted by Jack, who said with a raised eyebrow:

"So basically the ones who are best to beat people up gets to be the new Guardian."

Cyril looked frozen in a little moment, before saying to Jack:

"Of course not! We chose the new Guardians, by who have the greatest intelligence, out of everyone else. And who are the most skilled in combat and can use their intelligence to aid them in fights, and-"

"So the best to beat people." Jack interrupted Cyril again, who's eye made a little twitch.

Cyril was about to say something, probably with frustration and annoyance in his voice, when he for the third time got interrupted, this time by Terrador.

"We don't have time for this, I'm sorry to say." He said, probably not sorry about saying it.

"We need to get moving, or they may abandon our appointment." Terrador continued, making Carla, Ben and Jack look at him with curious faces.

 _Who have they made a appointment with_ can describe their faces, and their thoughts.

Volteer and nodded to Terrador, probably meaning he was agreeing with him. Cyril just snorted. For Terrador, that was a usable answer, as he started walking back to where they came into the training yard, with Volteer and Cyril following them. Carla, Ben and Jack looked confused at each other, before slowly starting to follow the three dragons.

They all walked back to the entrance to the school, and continued down some streets. They then came to a railing, that was apparently the edge of this part of the city. There was a long, but not so wide space, from the railing to each entrance, that was a door shaped hole, with a round top. At the side leading towards the houses to Carla's right, where a fine little grass space, giving a little life, to a surprising empty space. There were literally no one at the railing. Carla looked over the railing, seeing a long drop, that ends with the rest of the city. Where the school, temple and council hall was, was probably the _fine_ district of the city.

"You know that this is here where assassins, who are ordered by these _Guardians,_ will come from behind and kill us. Right?" Jack whispered to Carla.

Carla looked surprised at Jack, and so did Ben.

"What, no. what are you talking about?" Carla asked Jack.

"Don't you think it is a little suspicious that they show us around these places, filled with people, and now we are here. A completely deserted area." Jack continued. Carla looked confused at him. Jack in return rolled his eyes.

"Think about it. The last of our kind that was here, and if these dragons are telling the truth, betrayed them, and is gathering a army, consisting of former members of a army, literally called the Dark army. And if that is the truth, why would they then open their arms to a strange race of ape like creatures, who they know nearly nothing about, who one have betrayed them as I said. Think about the math! If anybody is coming here, is going to be somebody that is going to kill u-" Jack was interrupted, while holding his arms in the air, in a intense manner, when somebody landed in front of the Guardians.

It was two figures, with a dragon form. Carla could notice a intense purple color on one the figures to the left, and a black color to the one on the right. She looked over to Jack and Ben, and saw Ben's expression slowly lighten up. She looked back over to the dragons and the two new figures, that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She could see that the Guardians and the figures were talking, but she couldn't exactly hear what they were saying. But she could hear Ben saying, with excitement in his voice, like little boys at their birthdays, when they see their presents:

"Oh….my….god…."

The three Guardians walked aside, making it possible for Carla, Jack and Ben to see who the two figures where. But Ben probably knew who they where.

It was two young dragons, nearly as high as them. One with purple scales, and golden horns. The other one was one with black scales, and six silver horns.

* * *

 **Continue in the next chapter.**

 **Hah. Just kidding (:**

* * *

The purple dragon gave them a friendly smile, who Carla was thinking was a male. So did the black one, which Carla thought was a female. But as she had told herself, she didn't really have any idea how genders work here. They walked closer to them, keeping up the friendly smile, that didn't look forced. When they stood only two meters away, the black dragon looked to her right, and then freeze in place, while the friendly smile turned into a odd look. It was only then Carla noticed, when she looked over to where the dragon was looking, seeing that Ben was holding his arms and hands up on his chest, and was shaking with a giant smile on his face. Carla could understand the dragons odd look.

"Well, it was the third that _should_ be charm." The dragon whispered with a feminine voice, to the purple dragon, who nodded to the comment.

Carla looked over to Jack with a raised eyebrow.

"You're right Jack, clearly merciless assassins." She said with a sarcastic voice.

Jack snorted as a reply.

The purple dragon then cleared his throat and said:

"Hello. Me and her are glad we could meet."

 _Well maybe my gender judgement ain't completely wrong._ Carla thought to herself.

"My name is Spyro, and this Cynder." The purple dragon Spyro said, pointing at him, then Cynder.

"Names Jack." Jack said, waving his hand.

There were then a little moment of awkward silence, until Carla realized she was supposed to say her name.

"My name is Carla!" She quickly said, with a nervous tone.

Spyro and Cynder then looked over at Ben, that still was shaking with a creepy smile on his face, which made the two dragons make a odd face.

"O-oh that's Ben. He's just….excited….and-" Carla was saying, until she was interrupted, when Jack walked over to Ben, and slapped him across the face.

Carla was speechless, and so seemed Spyro and Cynder. Ben looked like he had just woke up from a dream. He then shook his head, and looked over to Spyro and Cynder.

"Y-yes yes, I-I'm Ben, yeah…." He said, and then let out a small, awkward laughter.

He then looked angry over at Jack, who just shook his shoulders.

"As said, me and Spyro are glad, we could meet. We have a tight schedule, so we were lucky to have time to speak." Cynder said, and then starting to look around awkwardly, and so did everyone else, except Jack.

"This conversation wasn't thought out to well, was it." Jack said cold, after a moment of silence, with his hands in his pockets.

"You got us there." Cynder said, with a small and nervous laughter to end it, while looking slightly down on the ground.

There was another moment of silence, until Carla said, hoping to start some small talk:

"What are you two planning to do today?"

Spyro and Cynder looked at her oddly, but then Spyro answered her:

"Well, we are going to go to a cheetah settlement in the Valley of Avalar. They had sent a messenger here to Warfang, who told us they have news of the Dark army. After that, we are just going to relax a bit in our little private house in the Temple. Nothing to special."

"Sounds, um….important." Carla said, while nodding. She then blushed, thinking over how stupid that sounded.

Spyro as a reply smiled awkwardly, meant to be a kind gesture, but turned into the opposite.

"Do, you have anything planned to do today?" Cynder asked them.

"Not anything besides what they three have planned." Jack replied, pointing at the three Guardians standing some meters away, seemingly starting to realize that this whole _meeting_ isn't going as planned. Or was it ever planned to begin with.

Cynder nodded as a reply.

There then was another, but longer moment of awkward silence, before Spyro said, breaking the silence, that seemed unbreakable before:

"I'm sorry to say this, but, I think is time me and Cynder getting ready to our trip to that settlement."

Spyro then looked like he had realized something impotent, and then said with a nervous tone:

"Not that we don't like being here! I -it's just we really n-need to get going and it's _really_ important and-"

"What Spyro it's trying to say is, we don't mean anything bad about being here and meeting you, we just really need to get those news from that settlement, and see if there real." Cynder explained, in a less chaotic tone.

Spyro sighed to himself, and whispered to Cynder:

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She whispered back, looking at him with a smile.

He then also smiled, with them having a lovely moment, of looking into eachothers eyes.

"Of course, we understand. Right, Jack, Ben." Carla said, looking from Jack to Ben.

Jack was the first to react, saying without a flinch, but a cold voice:

"Sure."

Ben was the second, quickly saying, with a nervous tone, like when you get to speak with your role model for the first time:

"Y-yeah of course, I-I hold nothing bad against you!"

Spyro and Cynder, and was about to fly away, when Ben said:

"Wait!"

They stopped, and looked surprised over at him.

"Where is Sparx?" Ben said, with a serious, but in the end, comedic voice.

Spyro and Cynder looked each other, before Spyro said, with an unsure tone:

"He's back at the temple."

"How do you know him. Volteer, Cyril and Terrador told us that they wasn't going to tell you about him, or us." Cynder asked Ben, with a raised eyebrow.

There was a silence moment, with Ben standing still, genuine not knowing what to say.

"I-I just h-heard It. Yes! Just heard it from someone when we were walking around the city." Ben said, hoping it would satisfy Cynder's question.

It seem to do, as she nodded, and then Spyro and Cynder flew off the ground, and away behind the houses to Carla's right.

"Where they two related in any way?" Jack asked Ben and Carla.

"WHAT! No! Of course not!" Ben burst out.

"Are they lovers or what then?" Jack asked Ben.

"Yeah! Or, maybe not. I have read enough fanfic's to know that they maybe are together, or they will surely come together." Ben answered Jack.

"Oh my god." Jack said to himself, with a sigh at the start.

"Hey! My love for The legend of Spyro games is the only reason you know anything of what's going on! And as you can see, that knowledge came in handy in this impossible scenario, haven't it." Ben explained to Jack, defending his interests.

The Guardians then came towards.

"Well, that didn't go as planned, did it?" Terrador asked his colleagues.

"If a _disaster_ wasn't the plan, then no. It didn't go as planned." Jack said, with a cold tone, he had kept up a surprising long time, Carla thought.

"Then it's good that there is a few more places that I haven't thought of. We can go now and-" Volteer was saying, until he got interrupted by Jack.

"I'm just gonna ask one thing." He said, getting the Guardians attention, who had just turned around, and starting walking a few steps.

They turned around, with a curious expression, just like the one Ben and Carla was having. Jack then continued;

"How can it be, that you are showing us all of this. Telling us all of this. You have showed us very important places in this city. Showed us very important people, like the future Guardians, and these two before, who if I'm correct, are basically heroes. And they told us, about a secret mission over at a village in the Valley of Avar or something. And I just ask, why. The last of our kind that was here, who _you_ told us about, have betrayed you, and is probably forming an army to kill you all with! Why! Why trust us with all of this, even through you know nothing about us. And by all common sense, can't rust us"

There was a long moment of silence. Carla was waiting for a logical explanation from the Guardians, about Jack's accusations. But she got this:

"W-well we are just-" Volteer was trying to explain, until Terrador interrupted him.

"Volteer, stop. We need to tell them." He said.

"That's what I have been saying all of this time." Cyril said to himself.

Both Carla, Ben and Jack looked at the three dragons with anticipation, waiting to see what they were going to tell them. Terror then said:

"Truth be told, we haven't told you the whole plan we have with you three."

* * *

 **Continue in the next chapter.**

 **I'm Serious this time ):**

 **Hope you like this chapter, and will read the next chapter, when I post it. Leave a review about this chapter or story, if you want to. BYE!**

 **(WARNING: THIS LAST PIECE MAY NOT BE SUITED FOR UNDER AGE PEOPLE, OR THOSE FAINT OF HEART!)**

 **So a youtube channel, called 'Game theory' have released a video, called 'Losing the battle'. There one of the people who works in that youtube channel, called 'MatPat', talks about the suicide of one of his friends, called 'Ronnie "Oni" Edwards'. He talks about how Ronnie was the one to help make the Game theory art style and editing, and was a huge inspiration to the other people who work at Game theory. As a fan of Game theory, it breaks my heart to hear about the lost of one, who had helped making the style of Game theory's videos, which I love. I hope that the people at Game theory will help support each other through this lost, which I know they will. Ronnie even had his own youtube channel, called 'Digressing and sidequesting', and if you want to, you can go watch the channel and it's videos on youtube.**

 **If you want to hear more about this, you can go and watch the video, that as said, is called 'Losing the battle'. The video also have suicide lines in the description, for the US, Canada and Uk. And if you don't live in those country's, or have suicidal thoughts, go and find a suicide line in your country, or speak with your family or friends about it. Some people, WILL help you through it. In the video, MatPat also talks about this subject, so go and watch it, or find help, if you think you need it. Goodbye, and have a good day, and a good life.**


	9. Chapter 9 A new routine

**Here is a new chapter for you guys to read, and hopefully enjoy.**

* * *

 _Chapter 9 A new routine_

"So, this is your big great plan?" Carla asked Terrador, who was sitting in front of her.

After the meeting with Spyro and Cynder, the dragons had taken Carla, Ben and Jack back in the Temple. They were in a private room, separated from the more public places. It was a big room, formed as a square. The walls had very thin pillars, which were close to the walls. They bended upwards, to then go down, and it continued that rhythm around the whole room. It was a very empty room, with a door at each of the four sides of the room, only one book shelf at the far side of the room, and one long table in the middle of the room. The table, even though it was very long, had only a few numbers of chairs. Probably because it was mainly meant for dragons, who didn't really need chairs, Carla thought to herself. And it was this table, the three friends found themselves sitting at, at each other's side and the three Guardians in front of them.

"We _hoped_ , that maybe one from his own kind, could, talk to him. Make him stop, what we are thinking, is another war in the Dragon realm." Terrador said, with a serious tone, but with the price of a little touch of doubt.

"What did you think is going to happen, if we do that. That he will just, drop everything he is building, and just happily follow us back here. Listen to yourself!" Jack said to the dragons, with a stern look in his eyes.

"It would never work. And I thought you were supposed to be the all mighty _Guardians._ " Jack continued.

"Well we don't have to much of a choice!" Cyril said frustrated.

Cyril then sighed, and looked with a tired face at the three humans, and said with a voice, that showed the seriousness of the situation:

"The news that a new war could break out, would ruin and destroy all the hope and happiness that have been built up from the ground, ever since the final battle against Malefor. And news of another war is going to happen."

Cyril leaned forward to the three friends, with a cold expression, making it run cold down Carla's spine.

"It would end the war before it had begun." He said, with a voice, matching his expression.

Carla looked down on the floor, under the table, with a guilt filled face. They were right afterall, what were they supposed to do.

Jack kept his cold and stern expression, looked in with the stare of the blue dragon, Cyril.

"We at least just need to try it out!" Volteer said, with panic in his voice, stopping the stare contest between Jack and Cyril.

"And if there is a chance that it leads to less numbers on the death count these last decades it's a option we are going to try! That's all we want!" Volteer continued, know with a begging expression.

All of this talk, made Carla feel like she was standing against a peaceful ending to the dragons situation, even though it was Jack leading the talk. She wanted to say something to Jack, to give her perception and opinion on this. But she couldn't. It was like her tongue was glued to the inside of her mouth. She had only experienced this kind of nervosity of talking to somebody in middle school.

Jack kept standing his ground, but you could see the doubt, eating him alive. It was now Terrador's turn to speak, as he said with gentle, but with the same begging tone:

"We just need, one of you to do it. To _help_ us. We only need you to confront him, and try to talk some sense into him. And get him back here. Before this situation turns even worse."

"How much worse can this possibly be. You have after all somebody that have been in here, collecting an army, to possible kill you all." Jack said skeptical, and with the last words sounding like cold ice, flying into your ears. The words surprised Carla, and Ben to. Both not in a good way.

"Quite more than _we_ actually could have expected." Volteer said, and then started to explain what he meant:

"If one of my theories about the disappearance of our friend Toby is correct it could mean something worse than a storm of swords. I believe that the reason Toby left, and it's beginning to reform the Dark army, is because the crystal he found on one of his scout runs. There is not much information about these special crystals, expect that they hold dark powers, that even Malefor used years trying to crack open to get there powers, but in the end failed. I think that this crystal is using, manipulating or giving ideas to Toby which make him do this. If we could stop the bond between him and the crystal we could end this."

Jack looked at Volteer, not with a cold expression, but a very skeptical one.

"It's that what you three actually believe?" He said, with the same cold voice.

"It's the best explanation we got. But that doesn't' change, that we still need you." Terrador answered.

"So….I ask again. Will one of you at least consider helping us." Terrador continued, now looking each of the three friends in the eyes. When he reached Carla's eyes, she was filled with guilt.

Jack was about to say something, but Carla got her tongue free of her mouth, and said, with confidence in her voice:

"I will do it."

The dragons, and Jack looked at her, as they now only have known that she could speak.

"Are you crazy?!" Jack asked Carla, before continuing:

"This, is the most, stupid plan, I have heard! Even if you get a _chance_ to speak with this Toby, how do you think it would go down! It would end horribly, and could fail in any way possible. There is, no way, you are going to-"

"I, will help you." Ben said, completely fine with interrupting Jack, who looked

surprised at him.

"YOU TOO?!" Jack said, or more correctly, yelled.

"Jep." Ben answered back.

"She is going to need my help after all." He continued, before taking his feet up on the table.

"Please take your feet of the table." Cyril asked, but it sounded more as a command.

"Okay." Ben quickly answerede and did so, as Cyril's eyes followed his every move.

"Carla, has a much better, actually, giant chance at succeeding at this - without you!" Jack said to Ben.

"I thought you said that this could only fail?" Carla sarcastely asked Jack, with an evil smile on her face, which Jack just looked dumbfounded at. He had probably just realised what Carla and Ben was doing.

"No. No,no no no! Don't you dare!" Jack said, as he looked from Carla to Ben, who also looked at him with an evil smile.

They continued like that a little while, before Jack stopped, and took his hand up on his face, and then forcefully dragging them down.

"You know what? Fine. Fine!" He said, before sighing.

"I'll do it too."

Terrador nodded happily, glad about the outcome of this situation. He then leaned over to Cyril, and whispered to him:

"He reminds me of you." He then blinked over to Jack. Cyril in return snorted to the comment. Terrador then showed a relaxed expression.

"I'm glad that this ended this way."

"If I need to be honest, me too." Carla said, which brought a kindly smile on Terrador's face.

"So when do we need to go to talk to Toby?" Jack asked the dragons.

The Guardians gave each other odd faces, before Cyril explained to Jack:

"We don't know where he is. We have currently send out some scouts to find his location. But that could take weeks."

Jack's face was swollen in a frustrated surprise.

"You don't know where he is! Why did we then even talk about this?!" He asked the dragons.

"Well it was you that asked about, what we were planning with you three. We couldn't be so impolite and turn down the urgent question." Volteer answered back to Jack, with a smirk on his face.

Jack tried to find something to say, but in the end, was left wordless. Ben then leaned over to Jack, nearly the same way Terrador had done to Cyril.

"You must admit, he got you there." Ben said to Jack, with the same smirk on his face as Volteer. Jack in return gave Ben a killer look.

"Well, I think this little meeting is over. And now I think we should-" Terrador was saying, until he got interrupted by the door, closes to them, that got pushed open. The force of the push made the door hid the wall with a loud bang. It was a cheetah, that stepped out of the door, walking on two legs. The cheetah had a yellow pelt, with black dots on it. The cheetah was also wearing a red cape and similar colored clothes, and a bow and quiver on it's back. When it saw the dragons, the cheetah walked with fast and firm steps towards them, completely not noticing the three humans. While walking over to the Guardians, the cheetah said:

"Guardian Terrador, Cyril and Volteer, I have important news. One of my scouts came back from the search,and the reported that-" The cheetah, which had a male voice, finally noticed the three humans, sitting over for the Guardians at the table, who looked at the cheetah with surprise and confusion painted on their faces.

The cheetah then bowed his head down, and then said:

"I'm sorry that I have interrupted your meeting. I have been informed of your presence, but I didn't know that you would, _currently_ , be talking to the Guardians. "

The cheetah then took his head up again, looking at the confused three humans. Carla, Ben and Jack didn't have any idea of what to say to the cheetah, but after an awkward moment of silence, Carla figured out that they needed to say something.

"T-that's okay." She said, with a awkward and nervous tone.

The cheetah nodded to the reply, apparently not having any problem with the awkwardness of the situation.

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Hunter, and I stand in the service of the Guardians." He said, to then wait for the names of the humans.

Carla was again the first to talk, saying, with the same nervous tone as before:

"I'm Carla."

"And my name is Ben." Ben said, with a more lighten up tone than Carla.

Jack was the last, saying:

"Jack."

Carla rolled her eyes.

 _He could at least say it as anyone else does._ She thought to herself.

"As I said before, I'm sorry that I have interrupted your conversation, but…." Hunter said, before turning his look to the three Guardians, and then continuing:

"I have urgent news, that I need to inform the Guardians about. In private."

The three Guardians looked at Hunter, all with the same fear in their look, knowing that what they are going to hear, is not going to be something good.

"Of course." Terrador said, with a small touch of fear, nearly unnoticeable.

"Volteer, can you please escort our three friends back to their home." He continued.

Volteer looked at Terrador with an unbelieving expression. Bu that turned into something a little grumpy, but understanding. Volteer nodded to the three friends, and walked away from the table, with Carla, Ben and Jack quickly following behind him. They walked out of one of the exists to the big room, and into a long and empty hallway.

"So, who is that, _Hunter_ guy." Jack asked Volteer, while walking.

Volteer cleared his throat, getting to explain who Hunter was to Jack.

"Hunter is a long friend of us Guardians and he was the one that helped finding Spyro and Cynder and guided them here to Warfang. He is also one of our most skilled soldiers we have available, except Spyro of course. After the defeat of Malefor the Elite warden was assembled but while they were under their training Hunter and some other Cheetahs and other highly trained soldiers made several scout teams to find the remnants of the Dark army. But now that they have disappeared their main objection is still finding them, but also to find out if any giant operation is going on under our eyes." He said, making Jack's brain work hard to cypher all the words that Volteer had told him, and so for Carla.

After walking a little while longer, she noticed a big, gold plated door to their left. The door was highly detailed with engravings and a few rubins and jewels. Just the look of the door was enough to make Carla's curiosity eat her up from the inside.

"What is behind that door." She anxiously asked Volteer.

He then stopped, and so the three friends, as he looked at the door, before he lighted up in his expression.

"Oh that's just our private training room. We Guardians don't use it to much but Spyro and Cynder come here now and then." Volteer said and continued walking, not thinking too much of it.

Carla kept looking at the door, while walking down the hallway, until her body couldn't physically allow her to. They kept walking, until they in the end reached the exit to the Temple. They continued down the same path they took on their first _escort,_ to the house. When they reached the end, Volteer told them that he probably needed to hurry back to the Temple.

When they walked into the house, they noticed a basket of food and water, probably from Gallio. After dinner, they each walked back up to each of their rooms.

Carla had made a little place for herself, in the first empty room too the right. Well, it wasn't so empty anymore, as she had added some furniture to the room, from the second floor, and some from the third floor that contained some unused furniture.

The room had a bed to the far left, with a brown sheet and white pillow. She had a little desk in the far right of the room, with a round chair. There were also a shell on the ground, next to the bed. Except that, the room was pretty empty. She got into bed, and tried to get some sleep. But she was to busy, trying to figure out what to do tomorrow. And if it now was a good idea.

"Wake up!" Carla yelled at Jack, who was sleeping so nicely in his bed.

The room Jack had chosen to live in, looked just like the one Carla had found on the second floor. With the same colored wall, ground and door. Jack had chosen to simply drag into the room, a mattress, a few white sheets and some animal hides. Carla was glad to know that her decorations wasn't that bad after all.

Carla started to shake Jack, hoping he would get up, as he apparently didn't hear her.

It took a few seconds, but in the end, Jack finally woke up and opened his eyes.

"I don't remember being told that we have a meeting with dragons today?" He said, with a grumpy and tired voice.

Jack then rubbed his eyes, to then see Carla standing with crossed arms, and Ben at her side, looking even more miserable than him. Jack then slowly got up, knowing that if he didn't, Carla would find a way to get him up.

"Wait here." Carla said, and then speed walked out of the room, and as far as Jack could hear, down the stairs to the second floor.

He then heard a door getting open, to then soon after getting closed again, and then fast steps, that walked up the steps of the chairs. Carla then walked into the room, carrying the green rags they had been wearing every time they had gone out of the house, out into to the public.

"Take these on, and meet me at the door downstairs." Carla said, without anymore information.

She then gave Jack and Ben there rags, which they could identify by a small colored rag, they had tied into the rags, so they could see which owns which. Carla kept her rags, probably to take them on downstairs, or on the way.

Jack looked at Ben with a curios and tired expression, to in return get the same expression back. Then without to many questions, him and Ben took on the rags, and walked down stairs. When they came down, Carla opened the door and told them to follow her.

Carla lead the little group of three, back to the temple, using her memory from the times they walked over and back with the dragons. While walking, Carla explained what her plan was, which made Jack wanting to loudly argue with her. But he instead whispered, trying not to get too much attention from the creatures on the street. They then finally reached the Temple, were Carla would finish her plan.

"You can't be serious? Are you even sure they will let us?" Jack asked Carla with a skeptical tone.

"No, I'm not. But we _have_ to try!" Carla replied, as they walked up the steps, that lead to the entrance of the Temple.

Jack kept arguing with Carla, giving her speeches of how they just should go back to the house, sleep a little more and try to enjoy their little _day off._ Ben added something to their argument now and then, mainly siding with Jack, which surprised Carla, until she understood that Jack wanted them to go back so they could sleep. It continued like this, until they had walked a little time inside the Temples halls.

"...and secondly-" Jack was saying, but stopped when the Guardian of lightning, Volteer, seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"What in the Ancestors names are you three doing here!?" Volteer said, with surprise and a touch of fear in his voice, as he quickly walked over to the little group.

Carla then cleared her throat, getting Volteer's attention.

"There is a thing I need to ask you and the other Guardians, which can not wait to another day." She said, with a serious and firm voice, like a politician.

"And that is…..we need to be trained." She continued, surprising Volteer more than their sudden presence, and making him completly wordless.

But that didn't stop Carla, as she patiently waited while Volteer was looking inside his mind for an answer. Jack and Ben wasn't as patient as her. Jack started stomping his foot up and down on the ground and Ben was biting in his nails. Finally Voltter had found and answer:

"Okay."

The answer shocked and surprised Carla.

"What?" She said quickly.

Volteer then looked curious at her.

"Pardon me?" He said, with a calm answer, not knowing how the question Carla asked him had kept her up at night.

Carla shook her head, and said:

"Sorry but, really. You just let us train. Are you not supposed to ask the other two?"

"No I don't need to ask the others, not when this is the matter I'm dealing with. And yes I am just gonna let you train. By a skilled warrior of course that I can find somewhere, who is not doing anything at the moment." Volteer answered them, and started walking down the hallway.

"Now, shall we go?." He said.

Carla looked at Ben and Jack, who was just as surprised as her, but also curious of what the day was going to hold for them this time. Volteer looked back at them, as they started to follow him, only now realizing that Carla had a robe around her shoulder and waist.

"What are you planning to do with that thing?" He asked Carla, who probably only know had realized she still had it.

"Oh this?" She said, taking the ropes off her, and holding it in her hands.

"I thought that it would be a good idea that we had something to tidying our rags with. You know, so they don't fly off when we start training."

Volteer nodded to her.

"Good idea I must admit." He said, and they then continued.

They walked down the halls, until they reached the door, that Carla had been told the training room was behind. Volteer pushed the door open, revealing a big, circular room. At the end of the room, was a big, brown wooden double door. And leaning against the walls around the room, was a line of sand on the ground, probably meant to run on. The room wasn't as memorable as others they had seen, without any decorations or anything that distinguishes the room from any other, expect the size and form.

"Now would you please wait here while I try finding someone to train you." Volteer, turning around and walking towards the exit while Carla, Jack and Ben was looking around the room.

After a moment, Volteer stopped walking towards the exit, and instead back to the little group of three.

"Why was it you wanted to train? It's buggering my brain quite much." Volteer asked Carla.

Carla had thought about that a little while before deciding that she was going to do this, and had therefore an answer ready.

"Mostly because we don't have to much to do. After all, with the agreement we have made, all we have to do it's wait, while you try to find this _Toby._ And I just thought, we could try to do something, useful, now that we are here." She explained to the dragon who nodded in understanding.

" _She_ thought it was a good idea!" Ben yelled, some distant away, which made Volteer give him a weird look.

"Well I think this is the time I really need to go." Volteer said, and turned back to the exit, and this time left the room.

When Volteer left the room, Carla turned to the big wooden double door, and slowly opened it. What she found inside, was what she exactly hoped to find. It was a bunch of weapons. Axes, swords, pikes, spears, knives, clubs and morningstars. At first, she was overwhelmed at the sheer amount of weapons and killing tools that were contained in the room, but she then shook it off and went inside. She found the tool, that was most appropriate to use. She took a knife, that was hangin on the wall, in a wooden board. When she took the knife she wasted no time, and took down the ropes on her back, and started cutting them into smaller ropes. When she was done, she put the knife back at is place, and walked out of the room. She then closed the doors behind her. When she looked out into the large training room, the first thing she noticed, was Jack and Ben, who was standing a few meters away from the doors, looking at her.

"What were you doing in there?" Ben asked Carla.

Carla then started walking over to Ben, which surprised him. When she was just a few centimeters away from him, she took a few of the ropes which had been cut into smaller ones, and placed them in his arms, which surprised Ben even more, looking confused at her. Jack did also just that.

"This." She calmly responded to Ben.

She then walked over to Jack, and placed some more ropes in his arms, with him looking curious at her, not knowing what she was doing.

"Uhm….what are these for?" Jack asked Carla.

"Yeah. I'm trying to be creative but, I can't see what purpose a bunch of ropes are for." Ben said, looking down on the ropes in his arms.

"Well, then you have very little creativity. Or memory. I told both of you that we needed these ropes so we could be able to tidying our rags a little better, now that we are going to train." She explained to them.

Jack showed a face of realizing. He then snorted and looked away from Carla. Ben had the same face of realizing, and then of one, that knows that he have shown how stupid he can be sometimes.

She then showed how to tie up the rags, so they would be more stuck to the body, but still space for the body to breath through. When they were done, they waited for at least five minutes, before the big golden door opened up. Out of the door stepped the cheetah, Hunter, from the day earlier. Carla made sure that her, Jack and Ben walked up in a line. She thought they looked pretty disciplined. Even though it was far from the truth.

Hunter walked up in front of them, and in a moment, looked impressed. But that quickly disappeared from the cheetah's face, and was replaced with a serious face.

"So, you want to be trained in combat and other survival skills. I can do that." He said, and started walked from one side to another, while talking.

"But, I must be sure, that it is what you all want. Is it?" He asked them, and looked at them, waiting for an answer.

Carla was the first to nod as an answer. Then Ben nervously did so too. Jack looked at Ben and Carla, and then nodded as a yes to the cheetah, and their teacher, Hunter nodded back.

"Well, shall we then start with the basic." He said. And then started the training.

He told them that they needed to stretch out first, and showed them the ways he wanted them to stretch. At first, they all thought they could easily do so. Problem was, they had forgotten they sucked at sport. They all ended up falling down on the ground at least ten times, before they managed to go through all the movements, without falling. Bu that didn't mean they did it correctly. Hunter was nearly impressed about how bad it was going for them and they continued for at least twenty minutes.

"Okay then, let's begin the second phase." Hunter said.

They now needed to to run around the room, on the sand until Hunter told them to stop. Carla, Ben and Jack was already sweating, and was not looking forward at running. It was going well the first few rounds, but as they conuined, they got slower and slower. Pain started to show up in there feets, legs, arms as they had swinged them while running and last their back, for bending down as they started to get tired. It lasted for an hour, and when Hunter whistle at them to stop, they managed to bring their bodies in front of him, and then instantly collapse.

"I can now see why you thought you needed to train." Hunter said, in a sarcastic manner, and with a small smirk on his face.

"No, let's get to the real training." He said, which made both Ben, Jack and even Carla make a face of complete misery.

The three friends now needed to make several different training methods, that involved them on the ground, sometimes in the air a few moments, but mostly on the ground. There was a few times, when they would have five minutes break with water from a barrel in the wall. The water wasn't that cold, and didn't taste as normal water, but the three of them took what they had been given, and didn't complain. They continued like this for hours, until their bodies had become machines, following orders from the brain, without feeling anything in the body.

They sat down in front of Hunter, just as before. He then went into the armory. Carla hoped he would come out with four swords, one for himself, and the rest for the three of them and then teach them to use the weapons they had been given. But instead, he came out with four dark brown wooden staff. Carla looked at Ben and then Jack, seeing that they felt the same anticlimax as her.

Hunter explained that they were going to learn the different tecnques of using a staff. Jack then asked Hunter if they weren't going to learn to use _real_ weapons.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I can't let you do that yet." He replied to Jack.

First, they needed to learn to swing the staff. They thought they could easily do that, but as before with the stretching, they failed miserably. They kept hitting each other, or themselves with the staffs. second they needed to fight against each other. It was probably the hardest thing for them to do, as they didn't want to hurt the other. They tried that for and hour, but when Hunter realized that this wasn't going to work, he choose that they should fight against him. The experience left them look as a fool, but also with brushes and blue marks all over them. Carla hoped for herself that Hunter would show just a _little_ mercy at her, but that wasn't going to happen. Suddenly, Hunter told them, taken and arm up to his head, and wifting off some sweat stuck in his pelt:

"Well, that's all for today. Remember to stretch and partrince some of the methods of training I have showed you back at your house. I expect to see you here again tomorrow, after the sun have gotten over the east wall. I bid you farewell."

He then walked over to the exit, with the stop of constant exercise, making the group collapse, laying flat on the ground, happy to know that the constant torture was finally over. Jack then heavenly sighed.

"How….long….have we…..been doing this?!" He asked Hunter, with an exhausted voice, and desperation.

Hunter stopped walking and looked over at the three humans, just as Volteer had done.

"I would say….most of the day. Which should mean the time is close to noon now." He replied.

"Wait, WHAT!?" Ben said, but Hunter was already out of the room.

Ben laid his head down on the ground, sighing.

"So….are you ready to be doing this probably for as long we are here?" Ben asked Jack and Carla.

Jack got up from the ground with a grunt and shaking legs. He then walked over to Carla and helped her up.

"Well….why the hell not?" Carla said, as Ben got up from the ground as well.

They then started walking over to the exit, with exhausted legs and mind. Thinking about, how their new routine was going to be like, for the time being.

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 **Thank you very much for read this to the finish. If you want to, you can leave a review and write about what you think of this story, and point out flaws that I haven't seen. And if you like to keep up with the new chapters that come up, you can Favorite this story, or follow my account. Hope to see you in the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10 Long waited news

**Welcome….to the tenth chapter! (** _ **Confetti blast)**_ **YYYEEEAAAHHH! Thank you for tagging on this story for this long, hope you will enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

"How has your day been?" Huljia asked Carla.

Huljia was one of Hunter's apprentices. After a week or so, Huljia had begun training with Carla, Ben and Jack. She didn't know about them, being human and all that. The Guardians didn't think she was high enough ranking to know about that information. She had been told that they were apprentices of the three Guardians, and that they needed to train. For all Huljia could know, they could be cheetahs or apes. But she didn't ask to many questions about who they were, instead she started friendly conversations with them, and soon her and three humans became friends.

It had been at least a month since the three friends had been found by the dragons,and had started training. The first week, their muscles were so stiff, it felt like each time they moved their arms or legs, that the bone had splintered into hundreds of pieces. But after some time, the pain started to disappear a little, day by day, until it was mostly gone. They also started to get less tired, and could run around the training room for hours, without getting tired. Well, they get a little tired of course.

Another thing that has happen after a few weeks, was that they started getting trained with weapons by Hunter. They would be trained in several different weapons, for improvisation, so they could adapt in fights to new weapons. It was hard at the start for the humans, with each of them getting cut and brushes while training with them. But Carla found her favorite weapon not long after. A sword. She knew that it was probably the most chosen weapon, but Ben had chosen a stick with two sharp metal end´s as his weapons. Jack had chosen a war axe, which kinda surprised Carla. They had also continued fighting with Hunter, shifting between all of them against him, or him against one of them. They still sucked, and Carla had finally realized why they did it. It was a way for them to endure more pain in battles. Or, that's what Carla thinks at least.

"It has been pretty fine for now. Which you know, because you have been with me most of that time." Carla answered back.

She, and Jack and Ben had there rags on, with ropes around the arms, legs and waist. They had a little problem with seeing through the rags, but that's gonna be hard to try to change.

They were all stretching, trying to follow Hunter's movements. After weeks training, they could follow the movement without falling down on the ground all the time. Well, for the most part.

"Will you two be quiet for a moment!? I'm trying to concentrate here!" Ben asked them, with a serious voice, that turned out to be just a little comedic for Carla.

He and Jack was trying to do the stretching, Hunter had told them to do. Even though they didn't have problems not falling down, they still needed to sharpen there elegance and precision. Why you may ask? Because it looked like they just waved their arms and legs around, like a complete fools.

Carla couldn't help but chuckle a few times daily, as it was hilarious looking at Ben and Jack trying to look elegant. or, not completely daily. They have gotten one day free, every third day, were they could do what they want. If they do it inside of their house, that is. They weren't allowed to go into the public, without supervision from one of the Guardians, or Hunter.

It didn't quite stop them from sneaking out time to time of course.

"AHA! Got you now!" Slavier yelled from the other end of the room.

He had landed on the ceiling, and with the help of his wings and his legs, pushed himself down, towards Irirel, who was standing on the ground. She just barely managed to evade the attack, quickly jumping to the side, as fast as the wind.

"You know that you are not supposed to tell your enemy when you attack, right?" She said, while breathing heavily, after some hours training.

After a growl, Slavier ran towards Irirel, and started a new attack. Oh, did I forget to mention that Slavier and Irirel was training with the others? Just as Huljia, they had started training in the room, as the three friends, after a week or two. The two future Guardians were sent here to train with each other, and then with the other Guardians, were they would get lectures, knowledge or more training. But they didn't know who, or what the three friends were, just as Huljia. Carla thought that they would be high enough ranking to know that, but they were maybe to young, she would think to herself.

No matter the circumstances, them and the humans had gotten to be friends. The kinda friends you get, when you go to the same thing as others for weeks. And as they gotten to know each other, better and better, Carla had started to give them personality traits. Which means she would able to describe others, in the most simple way.

Slavier was a very laid back character, slacking off whenever he gets the chance. When he's fighting, he likes to use every way, that will lead to his victory, whether it is a honorable way, or not a honorable way. He's charming, in the self praising, and sometime stupid way.

Irirel is very smart, and always trying her best. Her fighting style is elegant, slick and fast, were she makes up what she don't have in strength, in deadly precision. She's for the most part very kind and friendly, but doesn't have a problem with lecturing others, when she thinks she knows better.

Huljia is a very mysterious person, with Carla not knowing nearly anything about her past. She has the tendency to use brute force, when Hunter tells her to use fast movements as her weapon. She's very straight forward with things, whether they are good or bad.

Carla didn't have to much of a problem with the little group they had formed, and thought them to be quite the special company.

They continued the training for an hour or two more.

"Okay, It's time for us to-" Hunter was saying to the humans and Huljia, when the door to the training room, was nearly blasted off the wall.

The room went silence, as they all turned their heads to the entrance. In the door, Volteer was standing, breathing heavily.

"Jack, Ben and Carla, you need to come with me, now!" Volteer told.

The three humans turned their heads to Hunter, who nodded his head, like he knew what they were going to ask him.

They fast walked over to the entrance, and pass Slavier and Irirel, who was looking at them with dumbfounded faces, probably not knowing what Volteer wanted with them.

It looked like Irirel wanted to ask Volteer something, but before she could do that, the three humans had reached the entrance, and Volteer quickly closed the door behind them.

He then started walking down the hallway, to the square room Carla, Jack and Ben had been sitting in, when the Guardians explained what their plans were with them.

Carla needed to run, to catch up with Volteer, who was walking with anxious steps.

"What is it? Why did we need to leave?" She asked Volteer, with a confused voice.

"We found him." Volteer quickly said, keeping his look on the hallway ahead of them.

"You found who?" Ben asked from behind the Guardian and Carla.

Volteer then turned his head back, to the three friends.

"We found Toby. We now know were he is!"

* * *

 **To be continued….**

 **I know, that this chapter was a little short, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. If you like to know when the next chapter have gotten released, you can Favorite this story, or Follow my account. You can also leave a review, to help me find spelling mistakes, or just write what you think of this story so far. Have a good day!**


	11. Chapter 11 A journey begins

**Thank you for reading this chapter. Have a good time and enjoy!**

* * *

 _Chapter 11 A journey begins_

"Is this everything?" Carla asked Jack, who had voluntary asked if he could help pack the necessary supplies to their trip.

After the news that someone had found Toby, there were a quick briefing between the Guardians and the three humans. As the humans had promised, they were going to go and speak with Toby. The humans then went back to their house to rest. They would then meet at a desolate part of the city, the next day. There they would pack supplies, and then go to the place were Toby was last seen. The humans had gotten backpacks to pack their supplies, while the Guardians had gotten some kind of saddlebags on their backs. Their bigger size, and the saddlebags together made them able to carry much more than the three friends, who would break their spine, if they carried as much as them.

Others were also going on the trip with them. It was Spyro, Cynder, Slavier, Irirel and Huljia. Each of them got different reasons, for why they wanted to go on this little secret trip. Or, most of them got reasons.

Spyro and Cynder were coming for security, or they just had nothing better to do. Slavier and Irirel were coming with them, to be lectured by the Guardians about the surrounding area around Warfang, and it's creatures and plants. And also to train. Huljia was coming so Hunter could train her to survive in the wild, and learn how to scout ahead, and spot even the smallest details.

It was basically a training trip for nearly everyone. Including the humans, as the trip takes the group a few hundred miles away from the city. Another challenge for the group, is that they need to have a minimum number of rests on the trip, as they need to get to the Toby's location, before he simply wanderers away.

"Are you sure, that he may still be there?" Hunter asked with a sceptical voice. He had asked a cheetah, who had brown fur, with black dots, brown eyes and black ears. He had tattered green clothing, like he had been attacked by a vicious beast. His name was Urel, which Carla had heard from some of the conversations they had earlier.

"I'm sure of it. I stayed in that part of the forest for weeks, observing him. He never saw me, or never moved away from that part of the forest. Therefore there is no question that he may still be there. But still, we need to hurry. Just to be safe." The cheetah explained to Hunter. He were also going on the trip with them, to show them where he found Toby.

They had been packing supplies for a few hours now, but they should very soon start the trip out of Warfang. Then finally, Terrador told them to follow him, Volteer and Cyril. They then started going. The plan was to stick to the foot of the wall, all the way to the gate, that lead out of the city. The reason was for them to stay unnoticed, so they wouldn't cause to much of a racket.

Carla, Ben and Jack made sure their rags were tied on correctly, so they wouldn't fly off with the wind.

"Ready?" Carla asked her two friends.

Jack sighed tired, probably from being woken early in the morning.

"Ready as ever." He said, with sarcasm in his voice. Carla rolled her eyes as a reply.

They then followed the others, down a long and dark alleyway. They continued like that for some time, hiding in the shadows of the city. They walked behind houses, of all sizes and quality.

While walking, they would frequently meet a few creatures, that you would find frequently roaming around the darkest corners of a civilization. Beggars, homeless, or just creatures, abandoned by everyone. Some would walk the opposite way, some the same way. Some would lean on the giant wall, or the smaller wall of a house. But most would be sitting down. All of these creatures had one thing in common. They would all look curious, surprised or even scared at the little party walking through, which contained political, or just powerful people. They would keep looking at them, or look away in fear, or just grunt, not caring about whatever matter the group would be attending.

Carla, and the three humans didn't know the role of these creatures. People without anything, drunks hiding themselves away from society, hoping not to cause a fuss. Or creatures, just wanting to be left alone, in the darkest of corners. But the three of them had a bad feeling, that the Guardians had some ideas who these creatures were, and their role.

It was just now, that the feeling of drowning in fear, appeared in the mind of Carla. A fear of what some would do to you, when it is just you, alone in a dark, in a abandoned place. Carla didn't have these feelings when walking out in the public, having the rational thought that no one is stupid enough to do anything around nearly hundreds other beings. But now, she was in this cold place, with despair hanging in the air. Fear was the only thing she could focus on. She knew, that with the Guardians, three skilled warriors, and if what she had heard was true, and not tales of over exaggeration, basically a demigod, wearing purple scales.

As said, they continued like this for a while. Finally, Carla could spot stripes of light down the ally, and not soon after, they reached the gate.

She hadn't been able to get a good look at the giant gate. The giant golden gate, reached even over the wall, looking as high as a skyscraper. The gate was filled with small, elegant details and symbols. The gate made Carla feel as small as the tiniest ant.

She standed there not for long, as the Guardians walked passed her, with the others following behind them. Terrador looked up over the gate, to a mole looking down on them. He then nodded to the mole up on the gate, who then walked away from the railing, he was standing on. Not soon after, the gigantic gate started to slowly open, creaking as the two doors moved away from each other. When the nature outside was visible, a beaming light fired through the narrow crack in the gate.

The rags Carla was carrying shielded her mostly from the light, but she still choose to put her hand over her eyes. When she, and the others, had adjusted their eyes to the light, the Guardians started walking through the gate. The others started following behind them. Carla began to follow them. Then she looked behind her, to see the attention they tried to evade. She could hear voices, some curious, some angry. Some even started to shout at the Guardians, asking them were they were going. But no one got their questions answered. She looked away from the curious faces, and on the beautiful scenery.

The land was flat, covered in grass and flowers. The sun was shining down, feeding the land with endless light, to grow and expand. Longer down the road, was a forest, shielding the eyes from what was beyond the flat land. Carla could see mountains rising up in the sky, on the horizon, and islands, floating in the sky. She stood there, looking around, as she had done many times before. Jack then walked over to her, with Ben following behind him, they then waited for Carla, who realized their presence and blushed. She then started to firmly walk, with Jack and Ben looking with odd faces at each other and then following behind her. While Carla was walking, she was wondering, what other beautiful landscapes she was going to see.

After having walked for a while, Spyro and Cynder jumped into the air, and started flying over the group. Carla could hear them laughing and giggling from the ground, as they flew around each other. She wondered how it would be to fly in the air, free from all earthly bounds, feeling the relaxing wind on her skin, flying through clouds and over mountains. She was tempted to ask if she could fly on one of the dragons back, but decided that it wasn't the best question to ask a dragon.

Not short after, Slavier and Irirel followed the two love birds, and flew up into the sky. One of the Guardians would also fly, to scout ahead.

They would then continue walking, until it became night, and the Guardians thought that they needed to rest.

The first night the group found a little cave they could sleep in. Jack, Ben, Carla and Huljia voluntary choose to find wood to start a fire. The three friends choose to search together, while Huljia wanted to search alone. After an hour or two, the humans had found enough wood and headed back the camp. When they came back, they saw that Huljia had found enough wood long ago, and that she had already started a fire. Even though Spyro or Slavier easily could have started one. The cheetahs and dragons started laughing at the humans, as they saw the expressions the three friends got when they saw the camp. They continued laughing, to the disappointment of the humans, who was silent, and looking rather frustrated. And probably also thinking about, not so pleasant things, they could do to the others.

They stayed up an hour or two, talking, listening and having a general good time. It was less nice when they needed to sleep. It had started raining, so no one from the group wanted to stay outside of the cave and sleep. Then they started to figure out the best places people could lay, so there was space to everyone. Carla ended up laying between Cyril and Slavier. Jack laid between Huljia and Volteer. Ben, Irirel and Terrador. Hunter was between Terrador and Volteer, and Spyro and Cynder were laying against each other, of course, at the far end of the cave. Urel was laying between Cyril and the cave wall.

Carla had her back against Cyril's back, and the front of her body against Slavier's back. Cyril's back felt cold, just as his voice. Slaveri's back on the other hand felt warm, like when there is fire in the firepit. That, and sweat from hours of walking, gliding down her arms, legs and Back, and sticking to her clothes, made a very uneasy setup. She wanted to move to a new position, to balance the warmth and cold from the two dragons. But she choose to just lay still, trying not to wake the two sleeping dragons, which would send a chain reaction were they would move, wake up somebody else, who would then also move, spreading until everyone was awake.

Well, if they weren't already awake. She could hear heavy breathing around her, and feel the air, getting pumped in and out of the massive lungs, belonging to the two dragons at her side.

While listening to the sounds of several creature trying to sleep, she found something relaxing in the breathing from Slavier. It was his moving body, that felt so oddly relaxing for her. With that, and hours of fatigue, she in the end fell asleep.

The next day, Carla woke up from something moving.

"It's time to get up, sleepy head." She heard, and after a moment, realizing that the voice belonged to Slavier.

She slowly opened her eyes and then get bombarded with sunlight. Something that had happen a few times since she came to this mysterious world.

She sighed, feeling tired.

"The Guardians told me that we were going to continue walking very soon." He said, as he got up from the ground, and slowly walked out of the cave.

Carla then also got up, and walked with stiff legs over to the entrance. When she got out, she saw Slavier standing, and yawning heavenly, with his head up in the air, and mouth wide open. Right before he was done, a small flame bursted out of his mouth, and landed on some grass in front of him. He then coughed up black smoke, before realizing the flames in the grass. He then in panic, started to stomp on the flames, until there was nothing but a small black spot in the lovely green grass.

Carla couldn't help herself, and started giggling, which soon turned to laughter. It was only then Slavier noticed her, and blushed. He then quickly started walking away, probably from embarrassment, and that Carla's laughing would draw attention from the others.

The whole group then ate some bread, and fried eggs, made from a pan, which Ben had in his backpack. They then used Spyro's flames to cook them. Well, there was one problem through. The eggs got burned to coal. Spyro tried to ease the others anger by laughing awkwardly, hoping that the others would follow his lead. No one laughed.

And with a short night's sleep, and some burned eggs, they continued the little journey they were on.

The cykle between walking most of the day, to then find a place to sleep, and making a camp. Spyro also continued to burn those damn eggs. He kept insisting that he could frie those eggs perfectly, and he kept burning them. Carla could see how Cynder found it rather embarrassing, looking awkward at the eggs, each time Spyro burned.

Carla could find it rather amusing, when she didn't think about her rumbling stomach.

It took a few days, but finally, they reached their destination. It was a dense forest, which Carla had been told by Terrador is the Avalar forest. It was night at the time they came to a stop. The cheetah Urel walked ahead of them, to a tree. He took a few branches and leaves, that were covering the trunk of the tree, away. Under the branches and leaves, were a symbol. The symbol was a circle, with a smaller circle inside. He nodded to himself, and turned around to the rest of the group.

"Alright. We are here." He said to the group.

"But how do we know where to look?" Jack asked Urel.

Urel, just for a moment, stared at Jack with despite and disgust in his eyes. But it was quickly washed away, which worried Carla.

"Very Simple." Urel said, pointing at the symbol on the tree.

"I have marked several trees with this mark. They lead you around all the places I have seen this Toby, which is who we are looking for. You just need to follow these marks, and you will, with luck, soon find him. A little tip I must share, with the more….experienced in this sorta thing." Urel said, giving Slavier, Irirel and the three friends an odd look.

"Use a piece of charcoal, which I have collected from the fires we have used under our travel. Draw a cross on the symbol, When you find one. So you, and others know that somebody has been here. Toby didn't usually leave an area so often, so you should be able to find him. Oh! One more thing." He then reached down his back, which he had taken off while talking. What he took up, was red and green crystals.

Carla had learned about what kinda crystals could be found, and how important they were for dragons. But these crystals, were different. They were only as large as the cheetah's hand, and had sixten smooth sides, and had metal at the corners of each side.

He then walked over to the group, and gave each one four crystals, two red, and two green.

"These crystals, are special engineered to work as a signal flare. The red one, means that you are in trouble, and the green one means you have found Toby. They break easy, so be carefull. You just need to throw them into the ground, and a beam of light will shine up, in the crystals color."

Hunter looked at the crystals in his hands for a little time, with a cold stare, before asking Urel:

"Where are these coming from? I have never seen any mole dragon make these, and definitely not another cheetah."

Urel looked at Hunter, with a cold stare, riveling Hunter's.

"I made them myself. It has been one of my own personal projects for sometime." He answered Hunter with a cold voice.

"I didn't know that you were a engineer." Hunter told Urel, with disbelieve in his voice.

"Neither did I" Urel said to Hunter.

Then they looked at each other for a little moment, before handing out the charcoal, from his backpack. Carla could spot Hunter whispering something to Terrador, and Urel glancing cold at them. She felt like anything bad could happen at any time now.

When everyone had gotten their charcoal from Urel, Terrador chose that the group should dispatch into six other groups. Hunter should go with him, Slavier should be with Carla, Huljia and Jack should go together, then Ben and Irirel, so Cyril and Volteer, and lastly, Spyro, Cynder and Urel. Carl thought that Terrador would chose to be with Urel, as he probably don't trust him, and would like to keep an eye on him. But then she realized that Terrador believed, if Urel was going to betray them, the safest place to keep him was with Spyro and Cynder.

 _How powerful are they really? They can't be that strong._ Carla thought to herself.

When the pairs had gotten together, the hunt had begun.

Carla and Slavier walked left from where they were. Hunter and Terrador, Ben and Irirel also walked left, but took different paths. Spyro, Cynder and Urel, Jack and Huljia took different paths from in front of where the group stood. Volteer and Cyril took the path right.

Then they all took Urel's advise, and followed the marked trees, trying to find Toby. The forest was dense, but the trees took the groups around much more, walkable ways. Urel told them before they headed out that it was Toby, who had cut and walked these specific ways, so many times that they formed these hidden paths.

"...And that's how I defeated seven other dragons at once!" Slavier said, with his chin high, and a proud smile on his face.

Him and Carla had walked for nearly three hours or more, and hadn't found Toby, or leads on his current location. After an hour, the silents were near boring them to death, so they started some small talk. Even though it was distracting them from their task at hand, they had nothing else to pass the time with.

Carla looked at Slavier, with a shocked and surprised face.

"Are….are those, dragons okay, or…." She said, somewhat not wanting to hear the answer.

Slavier then told her, with a reassuring voice:

"Of course they are! Cuts and brushes can easily be fixed with some green gems, even the ones I made on them." He then laughed for a little moment.

Carla nodded to his reply, and then looked at their path ahead, feeling a little better.

Slavier then looked at his right side, down on the ground while walking, and said with nearly a whispering and worried voice:

"But the broken bones were another thing."

Carla's face was painted with shock, and this time she was _sure_ , that she didn't want to hear how that turned out, and even less, wanted to ask the question in the first place.

Five minutes after that conversation, there had been a silence between them. Carla wanted to break that silence, but something caught her eye. Nothing much, but just, a little movement, behind some trees, to her left. She could hear Slavier saying something, but she didn't listen. She didn't even tell him what she had found, before she quickly walked away from the path, and through the trees, and dense plantation littering the ground. She continued not for long, getting small rips and brushes from branches, and pointy bushes, before she walked out of the trees, to a small, desolate and flat area, with there only being grass. And something small, sitting in the middle of the grass spot.

She couldn't see what it was, but she could see that it was wearing clothes, and was….giggling. Giggling like a little child, playing. And it was. It was the very childlike laughter, the small size, and the movements with it's arms, that told her, that it was a child, playing. The Guardians hadn't told her or Ben and Jack, that Toby wasn't a child, but what she had read in that diary, he couldn't possibly be a little child, that would play in the forest, without thinking about the dangers, that lurked between those trees.

Carla then slowly, took a few steps nearer the child, quickly discovering that the child didn't have skin, but was covert in black fur instead. She then took another step, were she would then step on a branch.

The child stopped playing and sat quiet and still on the ground. It then looked behind, seeing Carla only a few steps away from the trees, surrounding this little green spot. The child looked at Carla with shock and surprise.

Carla was also shocked, but that was hidden behind her rags. The child, it looked like an ape! She had heard about the apes from the dragons, but she didn't actually know if they had kids. Probably not the information you tell about your decade long enemy.

Carla and the ape stared at each other for nearly a minute, not moving a muscle. Carla didn't know if this ape was dangerous or not. Probably not the first thing you would think when seeing a child, but she hadn't really heard to much good about the apes in this world.

Then suddenly, a figure stepped out from the trees, not so far from where the child sat. It was another ape, probably an adult, as it was bigger and taller than the child. It was wearing homemade leather clothing, just like the child, and had the same black fur on its body. It was also caring a spear, made out of a tall stick and a sharp stone.

The ape first looked at the child ape, with kindness on his face, before noticing the intense stare, it was giving something. The ape then looked over to where the child was looking, and saw Carla, where the kind expression turned into a look of fear and worry. It quickly took it's spear with both hands and pointed at Carla, who after intense training with weapons, took the sword a little up it's sheath, with her hand she had rested on the sword since the whole situation started.

Without saying or signaling anything to the child, it quickly got up from the ground and ran over to the adult ape. It then hid behind the ape.

The stare between Carla and the child, had changed to the adult ape and her.

"We don't want any trouble. Please, don't attack us." The adult ape said, and by the voice of the ape, Carla figured out the it was a male.

What the ape had said confused Carla at first, until she realized that the sword was a few centimeters up it's sheat.

"Oh….I'm sorry….sorry." Carla said, before taking her hand off the sword, then slid down it's sheat.

Then she took her hands up, signaling that she wasn't going to draw her weapon. The ape still had the worried look on his face, so Carla said, with the most calmly voice she could pull up from her throat:

"I'm not going to attack, or hurt you. Neither of you. You can trust me."

The looked at her for a second or two, before slowly sinking his spear down. When the spear was pointed down on the ground, Carla nodded to the ape, showing that she understood that they were neutral, or at least that there wasn't going to be hostility between them.

The ape then looked around, trying to spot something between the trees. It then looked back at Carla and said:

"You shouldn't be out here. It is not safe in these parts."

"So I've have been told. But I got special business here." Carla said, with a calm, but nearly emotionless voice.

She then looked at the child, behind the ape. It was still hiding behind the adult figure, to scared or nervous to say anything. As most children probably would be in this type of situation.

"Is it….is your child, right?" She said, and pointed at the child, which flinched at the mention of it.

The ape nodded, taking his hand behind his back, to the child, who quickly grabbed the arm, and holded it like it's life depended of it.

"She's my daughter. This place it's pretty good hidden between the thick forest and the trees, so I thought it was safe for her to be here." The ape said, and stared at Carla.

"Not to be impolite, but it seems I was wrong." He continued.

Carla didn't think to much about the comment, but was instead trying not to look odd at the child, as it didn't look like a girl to her. But she figured out that it probably wouldn't help the situation, and therefore she hold it in.

"Not to be impolite either, but….Aren't your kind, supposed to be, some form of undead." Carla said, knowing it was a bad question, but she needed to ask him about it, as her curiosity was clawing her mind apart.

The question clearly reminded the ape of something he wanted to forget, and frustrated him. But he knew, that they didn't know who they were up against, so he believed the safest way was to keep it in. After intensely thinking, he choose to reply her question.

"Yes, my kind was….cursed, by our former master and tormentor. But something came, and offered our life back. We couldn't resist the offer, even though not everyone was happy about the conditions, taking the offer it would bring." He said.

Carla tighted up her grip on her sword, feeling the sweat, working against her. She didn't like what she was hearing, and what it was implying.

Then, as if the ape could hear her thoughts, he said:

"But I, and some others managed to go our ways, escaping the 'conditions' we were forced through.

Carla, who was now more relaxed, couldn't let go of her sword, feeling like it was a part of her, and letting go of it was like biting off her hand. But this time, her sweat, dripping down her hands and fingers helped her.

Now that she felt that it would be a good time, she choose to ask the ape:

"Have you seen anybody out here? Somebody, looking like….you but, without fur. Except on the top of the head"

The direct description seemed to scare the ape a little, getting a nervous look on his face.

"If you're after who I think you're after, then stop" He said, with a touch of nervousness in his tone.

Carla didn't like the evading answer, now believing that the ape probably knew something about Toby.

"His name it's Toby. He is lost here in this forest, and probably ain't looking so good."

"Just stop, forget about him, and leave this place….That's how easy it is."

This time, his answer frustrated Carla. She never liked people who clearly know something, but trying to make you forget it.

"I'm under the service of the Guardians! They are looking for this figure, and if you know something, I beg you, tell me." She said, using authority as her weapon.

"You don't understand-" The ape said, before getting cut short by Carla.

"Maybe it's you who don't understand, that if you tell me what you know, I will leave you alone, okay. That's what you want, right!" She said, now with anger in her voice.

It was only now she saw that the child was now terrified and scared, understandingly. She then felt a unsettling feeling her stomach, as she looked at the child, sticking to her father's arm. The ape was then about to say something, when they both heard, a sound, of branches getting broken, and leaves getting swifted away.

Carla could now see the sweat, falling down the ape's face, as he then holded his child with his arm. He started to slowly step away from where the sound was coming from.

"No,no, no….not him. Please….not him." The ape said, which seemingly scared the child.

Carla the looked over to where the sound came from, and saw, small movements, deep in the dark forest, like it was trying to lure an unknowing prey.

"Is it him?" She said, as she started to slowly step over to where the sound were, looking it's direction, like she was hypnotised.

"Don't go. Leave, know! Please, JUST GO AWAY!" The ape shouted.

"DON'T GO IN THERE!" He kept shouting, as Carla just slowly, walked towards the sound, which she now saw, was leading her through, a hidden passage, she hadn't seen before. As she was walking, she could hear the faint sound of a girl crying behind her, and she looked back, not seeing the tears, but feeling the fear in the child. The ape then took the child up in his arms, holding her and his spear.

"I said, DON'T GO! JUST STOP…..STOP!" The ape said, with a scared voice, and panicked face. He then started to run into the forest, on the opposite side from where the sounds and movements came from.

When the ape was hidden between the trees, and the footsteps fainted - sound was gone. She turned her head back to the sound in the forest, now realizing that she had kept going, and was right at the entrance, to this part of the forest. But she didn't stop, but instead kept going.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter of my story. Hope you enjoyed this, and the next one. Seeing you soon!**


	12. Chapter 12 Might of shadows

**Hope the cliffhanger in the last chapter didn't bother you to much. But here is the new chapter!**

* * *

 _Chapter 12 Might of shadows_

"(Sigh)...Still nothing." Cynder told Spyro, as she landed on the ground, next to him.

She had been flying around in the air, over the forest, trying to see if she could spot Toby. After Cynder, Spyro and Urel had parted ways with the rest of the group, the path they had been given, led them to a much more open area of the forest, with good space between the trees. The rest of the area was filled with grass and flowers, which were shining in the night, with the help of humidity from a rainy day, and light from the moon.

Spyro acknowledged Cynder's comment, realizing that they hadn't seen anything that could remotely, lead them to Toby.

"Are you sure, that it is here, Toby has been staying for all this time?" Spyro asked Urel, who was in the back of the group, with Spyro and Cynder switching between who is on the ground and in the air. While Cynder had suggested, that both of them could be in the air, so they as quickly as possible could get an idea of the area their in. But Urel told them that Toby was usually hiding under the trees, making flying and looking down from the sky nearly useless. But not completely. Afterall, the trees were much farther apart, in the area they were in.

"Trust me, as I said to Hunter, which I will now repeat: I didn't stay here, keeping an eye on him, as long as I did, to think he would walk away at anytime. At least not in the nearest future." Urel explained to Spyro, with a slightly irritated tone.

"Okay, but tell me again. What did Toby look like when you last saw him?" Cynder asked Urel, making them stop walking.

She was sure that something seemed off, in Urel's description, which she wanted to examine again.

Spyro didn't fly off into the air, as he had usually done the other times, meaning that he wanted to hear the description again, as much as her.

"He isn't looking to good. He wears the cheetah uniform, for the scouts of Warfang. But it is completely worn off, like it was stuck to him, and he had frantically tried to rip it off, with his own teeth. His….fur, on his head had grown, and was a complete mess. His skin and face was filled with small wounds, with old, dried blood around them. He usually looks and digs with his hands in the ground, looking for something to eat. He eats every berry he finds, which usually ends with him getting sick. Luckily for him, the poison berries in this valley aren't lethal. But if they were, he would had died, long before I found him. All in all, he looks, and acts, just like a wild, desperate animal." Urel told Spyro and Cynder, with them listening carefully. But even if it was intriguing, it didn't stop Cynder from commenting on his story.

"And that's the person who is supposed to have reunited the remnants of the Dark army, and it's possibly leading them." She said, with a sarcastic voice, and tone.

"Yeah. Not to sound ungrateful for your help, but, something doesn't add up. Well….not with what the Guardians have told us." Spyro said to Urel, who apparently seemed pretty calm about it. A little, unnervingly calm, about being accused of lying.

He then lifted his shoulders up and down.

"Don't blame the messenger." He told Spyro, and then started walking again.

Spyro in reply, nodded his head. Him and Cynder then turned their focus, back on their mission.

Spyro flew up into the air, with Cynder staying on the ground with Urel, as they had done a couple of times before.

The night was quite beautiful, Cynder thought to herself. It wasn't cold, but the air was stiff. The smell in the area was fresh, filled with the delightful smell of flowers. The wind was slowly, but harmoniously, swaying the trees.

It was just as nice in the air, as Spyro flew around in sky. The night was filled with shining stars, a beautiful moon, and the surreal sight of the floating islands in the area. The air glided over his purple scales, and he had a perfect view over the surrounding area, which was quite the thing.

 _That explains why she stayed up here for so long._ Spyro thought to himself.

After ten minutes, it was time for him to switch places with Cynder. He flew down on the ground, making a little crater as he landed on the grass.

"Your turn." He said to Cynder, with a disappointed voice.

"Thank you, dear." Cynder said, with a smug smile. She then, as quick as an arrow, flew up into the air, as she had done the other times.

Spyro looked at her flying up into the air above, until she looked like an ant for the naked eye. Spyro then sighed, and said with sarcastic tone:

"Now, have you and Cynder seen, anything of the unusual-"

Spyro then saw in the corner of his eye, Urel, caring a large dagger in his hand, jumping towards Spyro, with a war face, making him looking like a rabid animal.

The dagger had an iron, curved blade, with a shining metal hilt, which was probably silver. The grip was made out of dark brown wood.

Spyro then swung his tail into Urel, stopping his attack. Urel landed on the ground, but he quickly got up again. He then, with the same rabid face, ran towards Spyro, with the dagger high in the air. But before he could cause any harm, spyro unleashed a lighting strike, sending Urel several meters away from him.

While Cynder was flying in the air, she noticed a shining light, lasting a small moment, under her. When she looked down, she saw Spyro, and then Urel, laying on the ground. She didn't hesitate, and flew down on the ground, by putting her wings against her body, falling through the air like a rocket. Right before she landed, she spread her wings, heavily reducing the force of impact, as she landed.

She quickly ran over to Spyro. She then stood at his side, seeing small electric waves around his mouth, making sure that he is prepared, if anything else would want to surprise them. But they didn't seem to be in too much danger, as Urel still layed on the ground, moaning in pain.

"What happen?" Cynder asked Spyro, who had kept a direct stare at Urel, observing his every movement.

"Well, when you left, he tried to stab me in the back. Literally." Spyro said, with not too much surprise in his voice.

"I knew that something didn't add up in his story, but….I didn't exactly think that he would try this." He continued.

Spyro then walked over to Urel, with Cynder following him. When they reached Urel, they saw that he was trying to reach his dagger, that was some centimeters away from him. Spyro then looked over at Cynder, and asked her, with a kind voice:

"Would you be so kindly?"

"It would be my pleasure." Cynder answered him, with the same kind voice.

She then took a step closer to Urel, and placed her tailblade against his throat. Urel in response sighed frustrated. Spyro then walked over to Cynder's opposite side, and pushed the dagger away with his paw. Urel looked at him, with anger in his eyes.

"Now, we have some questions. That, you might have already figured out by now." Cynder told Urel, pressing her tailblade even closer to his throat.

"You won't get _anything_ out of me!" He said, like he was spitting the words out of his mouth.

"Oh, we know. But you're lucky that I'm not up for torturing, in this beautiful night. No, I think that's more of a job for the Guardians." Spyro told Urel, sounding calm, probably trying to sound menacing, by using reverse psychology.

"I'm up for it." Cynder said, with an evil smile on her face. She then kept pressing the blade even closer, making small drops of blood getting on the blade.

Spyro then looked at Cynder, and said with a tired expression and voice:

"I know that Cynder. What I meant was, that this was something the Guardians should probably take care of."

Cynder then rolled her eyes.

"I tried at least." She said, with a disappointed and tired voice.

She then looked around, and then back on Spyro.

"I think we should tell the others, about….this." She said to Spyro.

Spyro was about to say something, but he was interrupted, when Urel started laughing. The kinda laugh, that you laugh when you enjoy someone getting hurt. Spyro and Cynder looked down on Urel, with a serious expression.

"You think, that this is over. No….you aren't getting away from this that easy." He said, before squeezing something in his hand. Then an explosion pushed Spyro and Cynder away from Urel. The explosion also left a fog, that completely covered the spot were Urel was laying.

Spyro landed hard on the ground, making dirt and stones fly up in the air. He grunted in pain from the impact, before getting a fireball, ready in his mouth. He jumped back up, and tried to locate Cynder and Urel. He first saw a dark figure inside the fog, resembling the form of a cheetah. He hesitated at first, not wanting to accidently hit Cynder, instead of Urel. But then remembered that he _and_ Cynder got blown away, by the just to be sure, he looked around, trying to spot her. And sure enough, she was a few meters away from him, and was getting back up. She didn't look wounded, so he thought it was alright to take care of Urel, before he could show another one of his tricks, he could be hiding up his sleeves.

Spyro then changed his attack, back to lightning, planning paralyze Urel, so they could bring him the Guardians. He collected the energy inside of himself, getting ready to fire his attack, straight at Urel. It was meant to be fast, so he could check on Cynder as quickly as possible. But before he fired, Cynder had ran over to him, and blocked his sight, making him stop the attack in surprise. When the lightning was gone, he shaked a little, as some of the electricity had spread through his body. He then looked at Cynder with worry and shock in his face.

"What were you doing! If you were _one_ second late, or if I had tried to fire faster, I would have hit you!" Spyro said, with worry and frustration in his voice.

Cynder in response, looked at him calmly, and nodded over to the fog. Spyro looked back on the fog, with the same expression, now seeing that the figure was in an unnatural position, for someone ready to fight. Cynder then made a small wind shockwave, making the fog fly off into the horizon. And out of the fog, was Urel, on his knees, with the silver dagger in his hands. But most important of all, the dagger was placed inside his torso.

Spyro gazed at the sight, shocked, by the corpse in front of him. He knew about people, so devoted to a leader or a cause, that they willingly sacrifice their on life for it. After all, he was one of them.

"That was….unexpected." He said, with a nearly whispering voice.

"I know." Cynder said in the same tone.

They slowly walked towards Urel's corpse, seeing his lifeless body, just standing there, on its knees. Completely still. Spyro could hear, even so slightly, blood dripping down on the grass, melting together with the water.

Now a sign of death, was laying on a symbol of life. How ironic. But what was that, in Urel's hand?

After Spyro noticed the green light, emitting from Urel's right hand, the source of the light, fell out of the dead body's grasp, revealing itself to be one of the green crystals, that Urel had given to the group. Spyro followed the crystal with his stare, as it was falling down on the ground. It then, against all possible odds, managed to hit a rock, that was conveniently beside Urel.

Cynder and Spyro looked at the crushed crystals pieces, holding their breaths. They stood there for a few seconds. Spyro then released his breath, with a sigh of relief, believing that nothing would happen. How wrong he was.

A rush of green energy, exploded around the pieces, casting earth and dust around the area. Spyro and Cynder both took their wings over their eyes, blocking the dust from their fragile sight. They waited for a small moment, until the dirt and dust had gone away. When they took their wings down, they saw as a green light, beamed up from the pieces, flying up in the air, to the islands floating above. The light seemed to be visible, all the way into space.

Spyro and Cynder looked at the light with surprise, and fascination. It was after all, quite a beautiful sight. As Spyro was looking at the beam, with a fascinated expression, Cynder walked over to him, and nuzzled his cheek, and then rested her head on his shoulder. Spyro blushed, getting his cheek as red as a rose in spring. They stood for a while, looking at the beam, until Cynder said with whispering voice, into Spyro's ear:

"This should get the others attention."

Spyro then smiled, and said:

"It really should. Something like this should be hard to miss. I wouldn't wonder if it can be seen all the way to Warfang."

Then, they both heard something behind them. They turned behind, seeing several figures, rising above an hill, that was in front of them.

* * *

"So Terrador sent Urel with Spyro and Cynder because he and Hunter expect him to be a traitor and that he would betray us tonight so they wanted him to be with the most powerful people we have with us on this expedition?" Volteer asked Cyril, with his normal energetic voice.

Volteer had just gotten informed of Terrador's speculations and plan, by Cyril, which he hadn't known before that moment.

"Yes. He said that it would be the most safe way to handle the situation. If it ever happened." Cyril answered Volteer, keeping eye contact with the narrow path, knowing that on wrong turn could doom them to wander for eternity, in that damned forest.

Volteer looked surprised at Cyril, before looking back down on the path. He then sighed, and looked back up at Cyril.

"Have Terrador any new instructions about the 'human crisis, that he haven't told me about which seems to be his new favorite tactic or is it just my opinion?" Volteer asked, with an hint of sarcasm.

"No, not currently. But he plans that he will tr-"

"We…." Volteer corrected Cyril, startling him.

After a second of two, Cyril snorted for the interruption, and continued:

"But he plans that _we_ will try to figure something out, after this mess with Toby and the Dark army. So we finale can put all this misery and pain behind us."

Volteer nodded, maybe because he agreed with Terrador, or because Cyril actually listened to him.

"I can positively agree on that." Volteer said, while looking at Cyril with a smile, before turning his focus on the path ahead.

Him and Cyril continued their search, without any success. But as their morale was at its lowest, they both noticed something in the sky. It was a green beam, rising from the ground long away from were they were, and into the clouds above, between floating islands.

"That….that's the….the signal!" Volteer said, with a stuttering voice.

Cyril looked at the beam, before saying, with a touch of fascination in his voice.

"Well, seems that the ancestors are with us."

He then started running through the trees, knowing that with the beacon in the air, he wasn't going to get lost.

Volteer was surprised by Cyril's sudden running, standing for a second, comprehending what was just happening.

"Hey! Wait for me you stubborn brute!" Volteer shouted, starting to run, hoping that he would catch up with Cyril eventually.

Cyril continued running, not feeling any exhaustion. He kept his look reasonable splitted between the green light, and the way he was running.

Cyril kept going for nearly three minutes, slowly getting closer and closer. But then, he noticed something on his left. He looked over, seeing another green beam, shining in the night. He stopped, observing both beams, quickly realizing that something didn't add up.

Not late after, Volteer came running through the trees. He saw Cyril, standing in the middle of a little barren spot, between the thick forest. He was just standing still, looking up into the sky. Volteer then walked over to him, breathing heavenly from running. When he reached Cyril's side, he noticed what the blue dragon was looking at. Another one of those green beacons, who had cut through the darkness of the night sky. He was about to ask Cyril why he was staring at the green lights, until he also realized what this meant.

"This isn't right…." Cyril said to himself, keeping an intense stare with the sky.

Then, he and Volteer could hear something behind them. Movements, branches getting stepped on. And, voices. Cyril and Volteer looked over at the direction the sounds were coming from. They kept looking for a few seconds, until all the noises got silent, leaving a hole in the night, were sound used to be.

Then, Cyril heard something fast, something sharp, piercing through the air. And before he knew it, an arrow flew by him, with only a few inches away from his throat. Then, shouts, war screams, and more arrows flew past him.

Cyril didn't hesitate. He quickly formed a wall of ice. The arrows were sticking out of wall, making it look like a hedgehog. Cyril then reinforced the wall with more ice, so that the arrows wouldn't go right through it. And then through him.

While he was doing that, Volteer had a different idea. He began to fire lightning out of his mouth. The lightning would then hit the arrows, spread to the others, before breaking apart.

That was much less nerve racking, than hoping that no lucky arrow would pierce your defense. But Volteer's plan still had a cost. Some of the metal heads would fly by him, making small cuts in the scales and skin. Not too bad, at least better than the alternative.

When the arrows stopped flying towards Cyril and Volteer, they stood there for a few seconds, waiting for more arrows, before more war screams, could be heard in the night. The enemy then revealed themselves, as they charged at the two dragons. They were apes, equipped with metal spears and some with round, shining metal shields. The armor was very much the same, shining in the night, with a silver look. The helmet covered most of the face, leaving only two thin lines, to the wearer to see. The back of the helmet covered nothing, leaving fur sticking out of the sides. Plates of armor was on the arms and legs, revealing a chainmail, keeping spots not covered by the plates not completely defenseless. The armor on the chest and back looked like someone made five holes in a metal bowl, then refined it to look like armor. Which it really looked like.

While this removed the barbaric look of the apes, when they worked under Malefor, they now had the look of a professional army, working for someone, with ideals, ambition, and goals. Which is someone far more dangerous, than any madman.

Cyril could quickly figure out what was attacking them by the war screams. Apes. Normal soldiers or warriors, would be surprised by this fact, but he didn't have such luxury. No, he instead used his time, before the apes would reach him, to observe the enemy, knowing that something was going to be different about these apes, than the ones he knew, and had fighted for so many years.

It didn't take him long to see that his old enemy had kept their war hungering tactics, as they ran towards them. But something was also there. They also formed a big offensive row, knowing that a Guardian could easily take out a big group if they were spread out.

When they finally were only a few steps away, he jumped towards two apes, firing a ice spike, tearing both of their armors apart, and their shoulder and arm. This way Cyril managed to get behind the enemy lines. And before the apes even had time to turn around, he fired nearly hundreds of small ice spikes, hitting a good amount of apes. While the spikes had mostly pierced the armor, only a few were lethal blows. The other apes ignored their pains and wounds, now after revenge for their fallen comrades and their wounded body.

But Cyril waited patiently for them, but he still kept an eye after any possible archers. When the apes around him were close enough to him, he then shot ice into the ground, that soon after bursted out of the ground, pushing the apes and their spears away. The spikes surrounded and protected Cyril from attacks, but the spikes were not very strong, and would easily break after many hits. But that was planned.

Cyril jumped into the air again, using his massive wings to lift him a few meters over the earth, before plunging back down. While falling, he made another ice attack ready, and when he landed, he shot it again into the ground, which caused a chain reaction. The shock wave caused the earth to shake, staggering the apes. Then the ice spikes, splintered into thousands of small, sharp pieces. The force didn't pierce the plates of armor, but got stuck. The other parts of the apes armor, like the chainmail and the helmet, couldn't stop the sharp splinters, from piercing their host's flesh.

The wounds were not too serious, except for the ones who got pieces in their eyes, blinding them with their own blood. In all, this attack did only severely stagger the enemy. But fortunately, that was Cyril's plan.

He then bite, fired and swinged with his tail, killing the apes, one after one. He even felt kinda bad, placing him in their position, completely helpless, in pain, knowing that he was going to die soon, as the screams of his dying comrades, getting closer and closer. But that was just an afterthought, something he could dwell on after this little surprise attack was over.

He then, in a quick moment, tried to find out how Volteer was holding up. He was maybe the youngest of the three Guardians that were left, but he could still take care of a problem or two. And as he believed, he saw Volteer taking out enemy after enemy with lightning attacks and swings with his tail. He also had an over confident smile on his face. Something that could cost him a lot in the future, but Cyril wasn't gonna yell at him now. Well, not yet.

But then, something hit him. He didn't know what it was, just that it was something big, and something that had gotten him by surprise, in that one second, he looked over at Volteer.

He could feel as the massive force that had hit him, made him fly through the air. He could also hear as several trunks from trees got broken into pieces. He then landed on his back, between trees and bushes. It was just now he felt the agonizing pain in his back. And something massive, standing on him with four legs.

Cyril then opened his eyes, as a cold air, started covering his face. What he saw, was an ice dragon. Or, something like that. Some of the scales were black as the night, and the face that was before him, was filled with anger, and hatred. The dragon was showing its teeth, like a wild animal. And Cyril could see the cold air, coming through the nose and mouth of the dragon. The eyes were dark blue, but were there would normally be red veins, there were black lines, coming from the outer ring of the eye, into the pupil. The lines were zigzagged, like cracks in stone. And they were looking at him, so intense, you would think that the dragon was trying to burn through Cyril's skull, with his eyes.

Cyril wondered why the dragon, hadn't killed him yet, as he was pretty certain that that was his intent. He then realized, that not even a second had passed, until now. The dragon lifted it's head up in the air, and opened its mouth wide open, showing it's long and sharp teeth. He tried to fight back, but the dragon smashed it's paw into his throat, preventing him from breathing.

Cyril then tried to move his body, hoping that it would get the dragon off of him. But the dragon in return squeezed it's claws into Cyril's side, making him hiss in pain.

The dragon then let out a scream, that belonged to the million tortured souls in hell. Cyril couldn't do anything. He couldn't fight back or get away, before this creature would kill him.

The dragon bent it's head longer back, now getting ready to the killing blow.

 _Well, I hoped I could at least take out a few hundred of them before I would be killed. But you don't get to choose, that I have learned. Volteer could maybe….No. This isn't a fairytale. He won't come the last second. And the Ancestors haven't really given out miracles to us so far, so I can cross out that possibility too. So, death it is._

The dragon then let out another scream, a shorter one, before delivering the final blow.

* * *

"Hey! Where are you!?" Carla yelled out into the dark forest.

She had followed the sounds for quite a while now. The forest had become dark, cold and lifeless, even with plants and trees everywhere. There weren't any paths to follow in that part of the forest, but Carla still ended up walking through the trees, without too many problems. There was a thine, but still visible fog in the night, giving the place the look of a horror movie.

Many minutes had passed already, but Carla kept hearing the whispering noises, of something in the dark. She just had the feeling, that Toby had to be here. She kept going and going, forgetting everything about time, and about where she was, or where she was going. Like she was in some kind of trance.

" _Hello there….what are you doing this time of night and place?"_ A voice asked her, from the dark.

It took her a second or two, to figure out that the voice probably was real. She stopped, dead in her tracks, looking around the trees, like she was panicked. She kept her ears open, hoping that the voice was real, and not some kinda hallucination of loneliness. What did it sound like again?

" _Oh sorry….I must introduce myself._ " The voice said again, from somewhere to Carla's right.

The voice, it was cold, sharp, but seemingly cracking over itself. It didn't seem human. Or like anything see had ever heard. Not even those over exaggerated demon or monster voices from Jack's favorite music numbers, could compare with how unnatural this voice sounded, to the ear.

" _I'm Toby….that you probably already knew."_ The voice said, but this time from her left.

Carla frantically turned her head in the direction, from where the sound came from.

" _But I'm also known as the Shadow lord….but to be true to you, that seemed a little too generic for my taste. So people just call me Shadow."_ The voice continued, but this time from above, between the tops of the trees around her.

Carla this time slowly turned her head upwards, probably not finding that Toby is up in the trees, very believable. She was at that point, ready to emit that she maybe had become insane.

" _I know, I know. Still pretty generic, but it's still better than Toby, right?"_ The voice asked Carla.

The voice was now behind her. She turned around, with no hesitation, and with a curious look on her face. In the shadows of the trees, stood a dark figure, leaning up against the wood. She couldn't see the face, or any other features of this being, but had a pretty good idea of who it was. After all, he had said it himself.

"Toby….I'm so glad I found you. You need to come with me, now." Carla said, with relief and confidence in her voice.

She then got the green gem, she had and the others had gotten from Urel, ready in her hand.

Toby then started giggling, which sounded more bizarre than you could imagine, with that voice of his. When he stopped, he then said, with superiority in his voice:

" _You didn't find me….I led you here. Don't try to lie_ , _and tell me, you could have found me, if I didn't literally call you to me._ "

"Okay. Fair enough." Carla acknowledged.

"But you still need to follow me back. There are people, who are….waiting for you." She continued, not understanding why she said it so decrypted.

" _Oh, the Guardians? Yeah I know that._ " He said, like he was waiting for Carla to tell him that.

" _But, I don't just know that. No, I know, a lot, more than that."_ He continued.

He then started walking towards her. And it was like the shadows of the trees followed with him, covering were he was walking. Carla started backing away from the dark figure, feeling panic slowly crawling up from her spine, into her head.

" _For example."_ Toby said, before turning into a black fog, which moved to her right, and morphed into ann young dragon, in less than a blink of an eye.

Cara, shocked, jumped back a little. Which got her to drop the green crystal on the ground, that splintered into what looked like, hundreds of pieces.

The dragon, which Toby had taken the form of, was black as coal, with an dark aura and shining white eyes. It took a few seconds, before she realized that the figure which Toby had turned into, was Spyro.

" _And not just him"_ He said, with the mouth and body of Spyro. He then again turned into a black fog, moving to her left.

While Carla was backing away, the pieces made a beam appear, shooting into the sky, blinding her for a moment. But she was to occupied with Toby at the moment, to think about the green beam.

Again, he turned into a dragon. Carla, much quicker, realized that this time he had turned into Cynder, seeing her characteristic six horns.

" _And would you know, not just her_." He said, with what sounded like Cynders voice.

To her right again, this time Slavier.

" _And again, not just him._ " Again, Toby sounded like the person he looked like.

Her left, now Irirel.

" _Not just her also."_

Right, Volteer.

" _Not just them"_

Left, Cyril.

" _We're not at the end yet!"_

Toby now moved right in front of her, somehow revealing as much of himself, as when he was in the shadows of the trees. But she now saw, that he didn't have eyes. Or, she could at least not see them. He then started laughing, a mad, evil laughter, echoing, in the forest surrounding them. When he stopped, he focused his attention on Carla again.

" _Did you fools, really think!?-"_ He said, with a voice, much more dark and corrupted than before.

He then turned covered his face with his hands. When he removed them, he looked like Ben. He then again had those shining white eyes.

" _That you could lure me back?! How stupid can you be!?-"_ He continued, sounding like ben, before stopping again.

He then spinned around himself, becoming Jack, as he turned his face back at Carla.

" _But again, it wasn't your idea, was it?"_ He said, before spreading his arms out, like they were wings.

He then formed into Terrador, blocking all light from Carla's sight, that could possibly be left in this now dark, cold and corrupted place.

" _But let me tell you something."_ He said, with a deep voice, that somewhat sounded like Terrador's.

The imposter then spread Terrador's wings out, before taking them around him, like a comfy blanket. Terrador's figure then melted away, revealing Toby behind the wings. But now, he had those same shining light eyes. But still, they were not the same. They filled Carla with the feeling, of an unending void, that could consume her at any moment.

" _You are now the one, that is going to try to hide."_ He said, with his normal voice and tone, but still, it sounded so much more, sinister.

Carla was frozen in place. Because of panic? Fear? Or had she just given up?

She felt like she was in a bad dream. No, a nightmare. Tears were slowly dripping down from her eyes. She was afraid to breath. What madness, was in front of her? What monster, beast or creature had he become? Was he even human anymore? She wanted to scream, scream that he should go away, leave her alone. She was scared for her life, and her soul. Just like when she read his diary.

What was going to happen to her now? What was this creature going to do? How did he know her, Jack or Ben? It didn't make sense. She could understand how he would know who the others were, but still. Seeing them, as Toby had showed her, was like looking at a ghost of the past, something you would forever hope to forget. Oh god….what is he going to do?

" _Well, no matter what you do, you won't escape, that's for sure._ " Toby said, while closing his eyes. He kept them closed, even after he was done talking.

In a moment. In a little, tiny moment. All fear was lost. It was in that moment, she realized that she had stared, at Toby's eyes. And when they were hidden from her, all urges to scream, to curl into a ball on the ground. They were gone. Except one urge. The one to get away.

" _I will hunt you down, like a little defenseless lamb, in a field with wolves….so don't try anything and it will be-"_ Toby was saying, until he opened his eyes, seeing Carla nowhere. But he could hear her footsteps, which sound got farther, and farther away from him.

Toby stared in the direction from were the footsteps were coming from, in a few seconds. He then shaked his head, and said, with a tired tone:

" _Why couldn't she just listen? Just for a moment…."_

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter. I'm releasing chapter 13 this same day, so if you want to, you can go and read that right now!**


	13. Chapter 13 A journey's end

**Go on, and enjoy this chapter. Hope you have a good time!**

* * *

 _Chapter 13 A journey's end_

Carla kept running and running. She didn't look behind her while running, not taking the chance to run head first into a tree. She kept on and on, and pain was slowly starting to dig its claws into her legs and lungs.

" _You know, this is pointless."_ Toby's voice said, from her left.

Panic again started crawling up her spine. What if he catches her? What will he do?

" _And even if you get away, there isn't going to be anyone left to help you."_ He said, this time from her right.

 _Is he going to do this again?_ Carla thought to herself. But then, she started to hear something behind her, something from her left, no right.

" _Let me tell it to you, as basic as I can. I have the Dark army, or at least the remnants, at my disposal. I also have gotten some new friends. Two new actually. And I have sent a few of them after, well….your friends. So don't expect to find them safe and sound. Or with all their limbs. But, I'm not going to let you see that, that you can be sure about."_ Toby said, but this time, Carla could hear his voice, all around her.

Then, figures started appearing and disappearing, around her, between the high trees. She then came to the realization, that Toby's voice, and the dark figures, came from the same places. Then, hounds. Black, dark hounds, with shining light eyes, came after her. They revealed themselves, leaving the dark trees, and into the moonlight. They howled after her, with the cracked voice of crows. They got closer, and closer. Soon, they were going to reach her, and bite her into pieces. She wasn't going to get out of this.

 _Wait, I have a sword!….I don't deserve to have survived for this long._ Carla thought to herself, criticizing her overall intelligence.

One of the hounds got very closer to her left side. But before it could do anything, Carla quickly took out her sword, and swung it to her left, spinning a turn around herself. She managed to hit the hound right in the face, making it tumble into the ground. The swing had caused Carla to lose her balance, making her fall on her knees. But she quickly got back up. But one of the hounds, had already jumped towards her. She then jumped forwards, hitting the ground with her left shoulder, evading the attack from the hound. She then, with a small boost from her hands, jumped back up, and continued running. Her left arm felt, well, she couldn't actually feel anything there. Except something warm running down her arm. But she didn't have time to think about that.

Carla then looked behind, seeing several hounds, still following her, chasing her. Then, she couldn't feel her feet hit the ground. Actually, she couldn't feel the ground under her at all. And it was after, she saw a rocky edge behind, that she realized she was falling down. She managed to just in time, see the treetops, that were storming towards her. She then let out a little scream.

The hounds continued running, ending up running over the edge, falling down just as Carla had. But before they hit the trees, they turned into a black fog, which slowly made its way back up to the edge. The fog then turned into Toby, who, with his white eyes, stood on the edge, looking down, into the trees below.

" _She will survive. Hope she didn't land on some pretty flowers. It would truly be a shame to ruin such beautiful things._ " Toby said, before turning around, and walking back into the forest.

* * *

Cyril waited. Waited for the inevitable. His death. The killing blow from the ice dragon, or whatever he was. Why did it take so long?

Then, he felt something cold, on his cheek. He opened up his eyes, to see the teeth filled jaw, belonging to the dragon, only a few inches away from his face. Then, something cold, again dropped on his face. Cyril realized that it was blood. Blood, cold as ice. He moved his head backwards, getting a better view, of what had happen.

The first thing he saw, was the sword, sticking out of the blue dragon's throat. And how the blood from the throat, was slowly dripping down on himself. The second thing, was the eyes of the dragon, which were filled with shock, surprise and disappointment. The dragon tried to move his head closer to Cyril's, but it turned out to cause him much pain, as he growled. He then soon, fell to Cyril's right, landing on the ground, dead.

Cyril looked with shock in his eyes, at the dead dragon. He then turned his head around, to his left. What he saw, was Jack, with his arm stretched out. He had a exhausted, but worried look on his face.

Jack and Cyril looked at each other, with shock in their eyes, until Jack said, with a surprised voice:

"For a moment, I was sure I had hit you instead."

 _Okay, I need to remember this: fairytales are real, the Ancestors do hand out miracles, and if I ever doubt them again, they won't be so kind, as they were just before._ Cyril thought to himself, finding it stupid to do so, but for some reason, reassuring.

He then got back up from the ground, while Jack took his arm back. It was now that Cyril realized, that Huljia was standing behind Jack, and was firing arrows with her bow. He could see how the arrows, flew across the battlefield, hitting any enemy, that was trying to flee.

Cyril looked around, seeing bodies, of apes in shining armor, laying dead all over the area. He could see, how their blood was slowly flowing down into the dirt, marking this place, now as one, filled with death and pain.

He also soon saw Volteer, looking around, trying to see if he could spot any more apes, that could be left. When Volteer spotted the little group, he, with a thankful look on his face, ran over to them.

"Thank the Ancestors that your unharmed. Your situation looked pretty grim from my point of view." Volteer said to Cyril, as he had reached them, while breathing heavenly. But that didn't seem to slow down his mouth.

"I weren't going to go down that easily. And of course, I got a little help." Cyril said, knowing that he was lying, and that he had already given up, before Jack came.

"Yeah….from me. (Ugh) And I thought you weren't the type to need, _assistance."_ Jack said, while pulling his sword out of the dead dragon's corpse, getting some blood on his rags.

He tried to rub it off, but he ended up just extending the red splotch.

"Well we can't all be perfect, all the time….but thank you, for saving my life." Cyril responded to Jack.

Jack in return nodded to Cyril.

Cyril looked around, trying to see anything moving around. When he saw nothing, he said, to the others, with confidence in his voice:

"Okay, we need to warn the others. This place isn't safe, and more enemies can be setting up an ambush right as we speak. Now where can we find-" Cyril was telling the others, until Huljia interrupted him, by saying:

"Enemies, left to the moon, some meters away." She said, with swiftness, not wasting any time.

Cyril quickly looked at the direction, that Huljia had told them, and as she had said, something was moving from behind the trees. And whoever it was, they were wearing shining armor.

Not a second after, two dragons, a red and blue one, jumped out of the trees, and screamed at the group, with an unnatural sound.

The group quickly got into a defensive position. Because they knew, that this weren't going to be an easy fight.

* * *

Carla had walked for a few minutes now. Or, more shambled, away from her pursuer. She had her hand, on a bloody wound in her arm. When she evaded the attack from one of the hounds, that had chased her, she somehow managed to land, with her arm, on a sharp rock, that had gotten stuck to her arm.

When she had woken up from the fall, she had managed to get herself to take out the rock. Which, together with the pain from the fall, and her sore muscles, made her hiss in pain, at every step she took.

It was of course extremely painful, to take the rock out, but she found a stick, and put it in her mouth, to stop her from screaming. And after that, she also now had splinters in the flesh around her teeth.

She was shaking, walking with unbalanced steps. Her mind, was filled with fog, making her sight blurry, and thoughts stretched out thin. Even though she still could feel the pain, her state of mind, made her not think about.

She kept on walking and walking. Until, she saw something between the trees. Something red. This caught her attention, making all the fog in her mind, disappear, like a wind had carried it away. She hissed in pain, but higher than before. She took a hold of her arm, like she wanted to squeeze the pain out of it.

Her hiss, had seemingly caught the attention, of whoever she had seen, for the red figure stopped, and looked in her direction. Carla then started shambling with higher speed, towards the figure. After a few seconds, walking past trees, she finally got close enough to see, that the figure, was Slavier. Carla sighed in relief. She was then just about to say something to him, when he fired a fireball in her direction. She didn't have time to react, but luckily, he missed her, instead hitting a tree, a few meters behind her.

She looked at the burned tree, with shocked eyes, for a few seconds, before turning her head to Slavier, and saying:

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

Slavier looked surprised for a moment, before taking on a serious face. He then jumped towards her, with his horns first.

Carla tried to dodge the attack, and fortunately, she slipped on a smooth stone, making her fall on her back. This did so, that Carla didn't get hit by Slavier's attack. Instead, he landed head first into a tree. He growled in pain, before turning to Carla, who was trying to get up. He took some fast steps, quickly reaching Carla, who tried to crawl away. When Slavier was in front of Carla, he charged up another fireball, but before he was able to fire, Carla yelled:

"Slavier….WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

This surprised Slavier. Surprised him enough to stop charging his fire attack. He then looked at Carla, with a curious, and suspicious look.

"Carla….is that you?" He asked her, with a silent voice.

Carla then got back up, but before answering his question, she picked up a stick, and hit him right in the face, making the stick break in half.

Slavier took his paw up, trying to block more possible hits. The hit hadn't made a serious wound, but Slavier still seemed to be in pain from the hit, as he rubbed his cheek. Carla then said to his face, with frustration in her voice:

"Of course is me you idiot! God, you were about to kill me!"

She then dropped the rest of the stick at her feet.

"Yes….yes that's you….definitely." Slavier said, while still rubbing his cheek.

"Sorry, but….you look just like an ape. At least here, in the dark" He continued.

Carla rubbed her arm, as dirt had chosen to settle in her flesh.

"But I'm not! Okay….I know I look kinda like one, but….no, I'm not one." She said, while still rubbing her wound, now also squeezing her teeth together.

"Then, what are you. If, your not an ape?" Slavier said, who had just stopped rubbing his cheek.

"Well I'm….You know what, I will asnwer that, soon, okay. I promise." She said, thinking now wasn't the best time to explain what a human was.

It was just now, she realized that Slavier was staring at her, with a shocked expression. Carla was a little startled about that discovery, and blushed a little. She was about to ask him why he was doing it, but he cut her off.

"Are you okay, are you hurt?" He asked her, with a worried voice and tone.

"No, no I'm fine….just, fine….Oh, forget it. No, I'm not fine." She replied.

Her and Slavier then started going, while Carla explained what had happen to her, and what she had seen. She told him about Toby, about the hounds, the edge she fell off, and then her wounds. Also about how he knew about him and the other dragons, and Ben and Jack. But not about the little ape, and her father. That's probably what they would have wanted.

Slavier then explained, how he had tried to find her, when she wandered off. Not as exciting, or frightful, or painfull. After hearing that, Carla got the urge to wish she could have avoided all the fear, and pain, Toby had brought her. But her suffering weren't over, just yet.

First, she head something, between the trees. Second, apes in shining armor, with spears, surrounded them and screamed at them. There was only a small handful, but Carla wasn't in the best condition to fight. Slavier knew that, as he jumped in front of her, and started firing fire at the apes. He kept fighting back, trying to keep them away from her, but soon after, they had gotten him two, three meters away from her. And they didn't waste the opportunity to get an easy kill.

One ape ran into Carla, and got up top of her, keeping her down on the ground. The other apes laughed, as they charged over to Slavier, who was bitting out an ape's throat. The ape on Carla, laughed at her, getting saliva on her face. She wanted to take out her sword, but she knew that the ape was just going to get hold her arm back. So, she instead got the sword, a few inches up from the sheath. She then grabbed the blade, with both of her hands. She then, with all the power in her arms, pushed the sword up, hitting the ape in the face with the hilt. She got deep and painful cuts in her fingers. Blood from her fingers started to quickly run down the blade of the sword. But she didn't have time to think about that.

She then pushed the ape off her, who landed on its stomach. And before it could do anything, Carla got up from the ground, got the sword ready in her hands, and stabbed the ape, right in the back of its neck. The ape shaked a little, before laying dead on the ground.

Carla then ran over to Slavier, who was surrounded by three apes. They had already managed to make deep wounds, all over his body.

When Carla got over to the first ape, she hit him on the top of his helmet, with the flat part of her blade. This staggered the ape, and made way for her, to swing the sword, hitting him between his helmet and torso armor, cutting his throat open. The ape then, with a gurgling sound, fell down on, into the dirt. The third ape, then stabbed her right, in her shoulder. Carla then walked back, with a painful scream. The ape got ready to a killing blow, but was stopped, when Slavier jumped on him, and broke his neck, while they both were on the ground.

Slavier looked up at Carla, and said something, but she couldn't hear him. She looked around the corpses, the dead bodies, which blood was one her face.

If it was this, or the pain, she didn't knew, but she fell down on the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Jack was hit in the side, by a spear, making him yell in pain. He fell down on the ground, and looked up at the ape, which had it's spear raised ready to hit. He could easily evade the attack, but before he got the change, an upwards attack with a sword, cut the ape's throat open, making blood, land on Jack, and on his face.

He looked to his left, seeing Ben, holding a bloody sword, looking as the dead ape, fell backwards. Jack could also see Irirel, a some meters away, firing ice at some apes. Ben looked down on Jack, revealing the blood, over his rags and face. He then said, with a tired look:

"Looks like I saved you."

 _Well, seems karma is with me._ Jack thought to himself.

Ben reached his arm over to Jack, wanting him to grab it, to pull himself up. Which Jack did, while saying, with a confident voice:

"I didn't need your help."

"Yeah, sure." Ben replied.

They then looked over the bloodbath, that had covered all the green grass, and the colorful flowers. Everyone had stopped fighting, and were leaving the remaining fleeing apes alone. The two bodies of the red and blue dragons, could be also been seen. Their blood covered more area, than ten apes.

The group got together, all with wounds. Huljia first took care of Jack's wound in his side. She then got Ben to help her take care of rest of the group. After an hour, all the wounds in the group had gotten taken care of. Volteer, Cyril and Irirel had their magic crystals, to heal their wounds. But Ben, Jack and Huljia had to wear bandages, to keep them from bleeding to death.

They were all tired. Tired of fighting for their lives. For that day at least. They then rested. Some sat down, some stood up, and looked around. But they were all silent. Then something came out of the trees. They all had already gotten up, and had their weapons ready, when they realized, that it was just Terrador and Hunter. The others then sat back down, and waited patiently for the two others to come join them. When they got closer, Jack saw that they looked as tired and miserable as them. When Terrador and Hunter reached them, hunter walked over to Huljia to check on her. Terrador instead looked over the group, before turning to Cyril.

"Any casualties?" He asked, short and quick, as Cyril liked it.

"No. We all got minor wounds, but we will survive. Even though, I don't know how we managed that." Cyril replied, with a tired and emotionless voice, which seemed to be the state of everyone.

Terrador nodded to Cyril, before turning his look to the rest of the group.

"You did good." He said, as he started walking around the others.

"If I didn't, we wouldn't be alive." Cyril commented, before crawling into his own mind and thoughts.

While walking, he saw how Ben had turned away from the group, and was throwing up. He had removed the rags around his face, but turned away, so they couldn't see his face. Meanwhile, Jack was clapping him on his back, trying to comfort his friend.

Ben and Irirel had gotten into the fight, a little later than everyone else. But they still managed to take out a good number of apes. Well, mostly Irirel. With scaringly precision, Ben was thinking to himself.

After a minute or so, someone came over the hill. Terrador soon saw, that it was Spyro and Cynder. They flew the rest of the way over to the group, before landing next to them. Terrador saw that they both had the same tired and emotionless look on their faces, as everyone else. Spyro then laid down on the ground. Cynder then laid next to him, which didn't bother him the slightest, as he put his wing over her, like a blanket.

Terrador walked away from the group, only a little, so he could get a clear look on everyone's condition. And it seemed all were suffering the same thing, just as himself. They were all tired. Tired of fighting, the same looking ape, for a few hours. It had been a long time, since any of them had fought a real threat before. And for some, it was their first time. He knew that Hunter had trained Ben and Jack, but he was actually surprised that they both only had minor injuries.

"I have fought apes, in shining armor, and dragons, with black stripes down their body. Anyone seen anything besides that?" He asked them, but they kept silent. Even Ben, who was done puking.

"Well, Urel betrayed us, and tried to kill me. He killed himself, before we could capture him." Spyro said, surprising some members of the group.

"I expected nothing less." Terrador said, with an unsurprised voice.

"What a shame. I had known him for some time." Hunter said, with not to much remorse in his voice.

He was sharpening a stick he had found, with his trusty dagger. Something Terrador know he does, to relax.

"Okay. Next thing. Have anyone seen Slavier, or Carla?" He asked, which seemed to get some life, into the hollow shells, that was the members of the group.

Terrador looked around, not seeing any reaction, that could mean 'I have!'

"Well, then we have to find them. We are not leaving, before we find them. Alive, or dea-" He was saying, until he, and the others, heard something in the trees.

It was something red, and whatever it was, it was going to be the third thing, to come and join that miserable group. It was Slavier, who came out of the trees. But he was not alone. Carla was resting on his back, with half open eyes.

The others, after seeing the wounded Carla, quickly got up and over to Slavier. When they reached them, Terrador saw how Slavier was wounded as well. But seemingly not as bad as Carla. Jack and Ben helped Slavier, getting Carla down on the ground. When she was laying in the grass, she was seemingly awake. Terrador wanted to ask her if she was alright, what happen, and if Volteer joined him, a thousand more questions. But he, and all the others, who wanted to ask her or Slavier, what had happened, got stopped, when Carla said, with a weak and tired voice:

"I found him."

She then looked at Terrador, with eyes, filled with tears, of pain, or something worse.

"And….and the situation….is bad." She continued.

Terrador then hushed at her, and said, with a whispering voice:

"Rest. You can tell us, while we go back to Warfang."

Carla, then nodded, and looked up into the sky.

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds nice." She said, before falling unconscious again.

* * *

 **Thank you for sticking with my story for so long! Hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and will enjoy the rest of the chapters to come! Have a good day.**


	14. Chapter 14 Some time after

**Here is the next chapter!**

* * *

 _Chapter 14 Some time after_

" _I think the word, evil, has always been used too much. Really, think about it. What does evil mean? Is it something bad? Is it an human feature? Is it something that will in the end consume all life in the universe? The answer for the last three questions are no, no….and yes. I think evil means, someone who don't care about others lifes in general. And is it bad. No. It's worse. I don't think humans are supposed to be 'evil'. Actually, I think it is something we have been cursed with. And that curse, will in the end, destroy all that is kind in the universe. But, that's not your question, is it? No, you didn't ask what evil means, did you. But now that I have told you about evil, I want you to answer my question…..Am I evil?" Toby the Shadowlord._

* * *

Headaches. Tiredness. Memories, flashing before Carla's eyes. The feeling of going in and out of reality, was the only thing, she could clearly feel. She could hear voices around her, but couldn't make out what they were saying. She felt cold.

Carla opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, she could hear sounds, that seemed distant. When her vision slowly started coming back to her, she could see the warm, comforting light, shining in from a window. She realized she was in her own room, and in her own bed. At first, she couldn't remember what had happen to her, but the memories from the expedition to find Toby, came back to her. It was only then, she saw Slavier, standing in the far corner. He looked at her, with relief in his face. He then smiled and walked towards her.

"One day." He said, with a calm voice.

"What…." Carla asked, with a tired and weak voice.

"That's how long you been out. One day, exactly." Slavier answered, with a self praising voice, like he wanted to be rewarded for knowing that.

"I'm pretty sure that's impossible." Carla said, while taking her head up from the pillow, that she was resting her on.

"Probably. Then you have been out for about a day!" He said, with the same self praising voice, and a smug grin.

Carla then suddenly, felt a sharp pain in her side. The pain made her jump a little in the bed, ending with her laying like she had just awoken. She grinded her teeth together, waiting for the pain to disappear.

When it was gone, she looked over at Slavier, who had the face of seeing someone falling face first into the ground.

"Yeah….that's gonna hurt for awhile." He said, with the same expression.

Carla moaned in despair, knowing she was going to have to listen to Slavier's comments for sometime, as no one seemed to be coming to her aid.

"Isn't there some kind of, I don't know, healing stuff to ease the pain? You know, like those crystals." Carla asked Slavier, with a pleading expression.

"Sorry, but those crystals only work for dragons." Slavier answered.

"How great." Carla said, sarcastically. She then closed her eyes, trying to rest.

"But….I was given this." Slavier said, walking towards a little table, standing in the corner of the room.

Carla opened her eyes, noticing a brown wooden bowl on the table. Slavier then looked at the bowl, and breathe fire on it. There was probably soup or water in the bowl, as steam started raising from it. The top of the bowl had gotten black, because of the fire from Slavier. He then took the bowl with his paw, and turned over to Carla. He then bended down his head, and tensed his muscles in his legs, and slightly spread his wings. When Carla realized what he was about to do, she rose from the bed, and yelled:

"STOP!"

Carla hissed in pain, but choose to fight it this time.

Slavier stood still, and looked surprised at Carla.

"What?" He asked, with surprise in his voice.

"Were you just about to do what I thought you would do?" Carla asked back, with a dumbfounded face and voice.

"Well you need this to get better, so I _planned,_ to just-"

"Jump. You planned on jumping, over to me." Carla cut him off short.

"...Yeah….I was." Slavier answered, finding it hard to see the problem, Carla was having with him helping her.

"...Then don't." Carla said, still dumbfounded.

"Uhm, why?" Slavier asked, getting a little creeped out by Carla's behavior.

"Because then you are going to drop what is in the bowl, right on me. And if I'm right, the contents of that bowl, is boiling hot." She replied, with a frustrated voice.

"It has to be hot." Slavier said.

"Still, don't try to jump towards me, with that bowl in your hand."

"But how else am I going to get it to you?" He asked, now standing with the bowl in his hand, with a tired face.

"Can't you just use your mouth." Carla blurred out.

Slavier stood and stared silently at her, looking like he waited for a punchline.

"...Use my mouth?" He asked her, using a voice sounding like he was talking to an idiot.

"Yeah!" Carla answered, not seeing the problem Slavier had with her idea.

"Okay, fine. Then I'm just gonna do that." He said, with annoyance in his voice.

He then put the bowl back at the table, and lowered his head down, and bite the bowl.

"You ungrateful little…." He muttered for himself.

Slavier lifted his head back up, spilling some of the contents in the bowl on the floor.

"Be careful! There's supposed to be something left for me." Carla scolded Slavier, wanting him to be more careful.

This didn't sit well with Slavier, growling for himself with the bowl in his mouth. This made small bobbles, that got drops of the content in the bowl to fly into his mouth. When the drops hit his tongue, his expression turned from annoyed and frustrated, to looking like someone who was choking.

Deciding that the best thing would probably be to get the bowl out of his mouth, before he would have to taste more of that awful soup, he strated going towards Carla.

Under the watchful eye of Carla, Slavier moved towards her with slow and careful steps. When he reached her bed, he lowered his head. Carla then took the bowl from Slavier's mouth, like he was a servant.

The bowl was filled with a thick, white liquid, with a thick black top. It smelled like some kind of mushroom, with an hint of flowers. She took the bowl up to her mouth, and tasted a spoonful. She then looked like she had tasted something extremely sour or bad. And she was sure she could hear Slavier giggle for himself. She then started drinking more of the soup, with her expression intensifying. She kept drinking larger and larger portions of the soup, getting used to the awful taste. And finally, she looked down into the bowl, seeing that it was completely empty, except for a few drops in the bottom.

"look at you! Taking it like a champ!" Slavier said, praising her for not puking all over the bed.

Carla looked over to him, with an annoyed and exhausted look.

"Is there anymore…. _medicine,_ I need to take?" Carla asked Slavier, imagining what disgusting horrors, that they in this world call medicine, she would need to eat or drink.

"No, it was just the Oggide soup."

"The Oggie-what-now?" Carla asked Slaver.

She had never heard of that kind of soup. But that was to be expected. Stuck in a whole new world and all that.

"The Oggide soup is made out of the rare Oggide flowers, only found under a tree, buried deep inside the roots. It helps ease pain and clears your head after awhile. It also heals, boosting the bodies regeneration. But, it isn't as effective as crystals." Slaver explained.

Carla nodded and laid back in bed. She closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again and asking Slavier:

"...What am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, wait. Rest. That sorta thing. But don't worry….I can wait for you."

"...Thanks…."

* * *

"This is bad. No this is awful, dreadful, abominable, terrible and most gods awful thing that could have happened!" Volteer cried out, as him and the other Guardians were walking down the streets of Warfang.

"I know Volteer, but we _had_ been waiting for this." Terrador said, hoping to calm down his friend a little.

He looked around, seeing the unavoidable surprised stares from the public. But the numbers have fallen, now laughable, compared to after the defeat of Malefor. At that time, the Guardians was war heroes in the eyes of the people in Warfang. But after everything finally got peaceful, when they didn't need to fear getting their heads ripped off by undead apes, the status of the Guardians fell from war heroes, to just an image. Something the people in the city could say that they had, and others don't. Quite a number of public speeches, which would make a politician proud, also helped with that.

"What are you two talking! There's only four of them. Imagine how _big_ the numbers could have been." Cyril said, taking the situation as serious as the other two Guardians, but for once looking at the positive side.

"But low numbers means big casualties…." Terrador said to Cyril as a comeback.

Cyril sighed and looked over at Terrador.

"It was just a small, mole trading caravan. I'm even surprised that there are anybody alive! And besides that, now that we know the Dark army has started attacking again, we can warn bigger communities and settlements about the danger!" Cyril explained, hoping to get his point across.

"I know. I just can't believe, that Toby went through with this." Terrador said with a sad tone, and tired expression.

"Please, Toby didn't this….he's just a kid. I'm sure that someone else is pulling the strings. And we need to find out who." Cyril said, with a concerned voice.

"And who could _that_ possible be!? The Dark army is the only threat known to Warfang and someone with enough power to gather all the remnants and keeping them from walking off and attack some small village couldn't possible have been hiding in the shadows without us knowing. Well, it could also be Malefor…." Volteer said, finding that someone with that caliber of power, being unknown for them, ridiculous.

" _Don't_ say that name." Terrador said, almost like a threat.

It worked either way, as Volteer got a nervous expression and tried to keep his mouth shut.

"He didn't get stopped and defeated, just so we could fear his return for the rest of our lives. No….it must be someone else."

"Then who is it?" Cyril asked, secretly just as eager as Volteer to learn who it is. He just hid it better.

"We can discuss this later. Our focus is required on different things right now." Terrador said, as he looked at how the giant gate rose up to the sky."

The three Guardians then stood in front of the gate, and waited patiently. Some creatures were curious at first, and waited with them. But they would soon stop caring, or actually needed to be somewhere else. Then some curious souls would take their place, and the cycle would continue.

Finally the mole on top of the gate, waved to the three dragons below. Terrador nodded to the mole as he had done the last time he left Warfang. And as before, the mole nodded back and disappeared. Then gears, ropes and chains could be heard moving inside of the giant structure, as the heavy wooden door, embedded with steel and gold, opened up.

Behind the gate, stood four moles, in ragged capes and rags. They had a cart with a brown cattle in front. It had a big bandage around the belly. The moles also had bandages, some bloody, around their bodies. Signs of a brutal battle for survival.

The three Guardians started walking towards the moles. One of the moles, in red clothing, walked up to them and greeted them.

"Hello, Guardians of Warfang! It's an honor to meet you." He said, with an happy and excited voice.

He then bowed down, nearly touching the ground with his forehead. When he came back up, Terrador said:

"Hello! Can you tell me your name, dear mole?"

"My humble name, is Hardin. I come to Warfang, with my three companies and partners. Him over there, is Klok. He is our chef, and the manager of our supplies" Hardin said, pointing to one of the moles behind, the one to his right.

The mole, Klok, nodded his head as a greeting. He had brown clothes, with a belt around his waist, with cooking and kitchen tools. He had a bloody bandage on his right leg, and on his left shoulder.

"Him over there is Baublo, he is our merchant, making sure we don't run out of money." Hardin continued, now introducing the mole next to Klok.

He bowed, with a smile on his face, at the three dragons, probably hoping to get a good first expression with the Guardians. He had dark brown clothes, a black cloak, and at least three golden tooths, in his mouth. Which were clearly visible as he smiled at the Guardians. He had a bloody bandage around his left eye, and one around his waist.

"And the bitter one over there, is Talkio." Hardin said, pointing at the last mole, who growled at the introducing.

He had grey rags, with a steel plate on his chest, and one on his right shoulder. He had a bandage around his head, and one on his arm.

"He is our, well….you can say our hired sword. Picked him up one they, and have kept him with us since! Don't mind his, attitude. After the attack on our caravan, he have become, much more paranoid, he he…." Hardin continued.

His expression and tone of voice, went suddenly dark, as if someone had just puffed out all the light in the world, as he said:

"...We had larger numbers before the attack…."

"Just suck it up already! It have been nearly three weeks!" Talkio said, with a frustrated, and rough voice.

The comment had made Klok and Baublo give out an angry look, in Talkio's way. Even Hardin looked at Talkio for a moment, with a frustrated, mixed with annoyed, look.

 _What an optimist…._ Terrador thought to himself

 _Him and Cyril would probably get along just well….if they don't instead tear each other to shreds, with sharp and cold words._

"Hardin, now that you talk about the attack…." Terrador said, getting Hardin's attention and the three others.

"We, the Guardians, and the Council of Warfang have come up with a deal, we hope you four will be interested in." Terrador continued, now getting the complete attention of Baublo, who stared with anticipation in his eyes, at the Guardian.

"If you four will tell us, in great detail, about the attack on your caravan, we will get those wounds of yours checked, and find someplace with food and warmth for you to stay. How does that sound?"

Baublo quickly ran over to Hardin, and whispered something in his ear. When Baublo was done, Hardin nodded to the mole. He then turned his head to Terrador.

"That sounds reasonable to our ears. We accept your offer." He said, with enthusiasm in his voice.

Terrador then smiled, and said with a happy tone:

"Well then. Shall we go?"


End file.
